Beijing tightens environmental supervision weeks before APEC

In anticipation of the upcoming APEC summit, Beijing's environmental watchdog has issued warnings against dozens of local officials in the past year for their incompetence in improving air quality.

The inspection commission in Beijing's Huairou district, where the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting will be held, has issued some 30 warnings against officials since last July, "most of who have done a poor job in improving local air quality", said Du Lianming, deputy head of the commission.

The APEC meeting is set to be held in the second half of this year.

"It's necessary to improve the air quality as APEC is a world-class event," said Du.

The capital is also considering taking up measures used during the 2008 Olympics to cut smog during the APEC event, Du said.

The measures include suspending several industrial operations in the suburbs, controlling traffic based on vehicles' license plate numbers and halting work at construction sites.

Other measures Beijing will take are tightening supervision over unlicensed outdoor barbecues and coal-fired boilers. It will also step up inspections of construction sites, vehicles overloaded with building materials and polluting industrial companies, the municipal government told media.

More frequent crackdowns and secret investigations will be conducted to supervise local officials' enforcement of these measures.

The public can also submit whistleblowing posts to expose officials who fail to perform their duties, the municipal government said.

For the upcoming APEC summit, sponsorship is welcome, said Xiong Jiuling, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-Council.

Sponsorship requested includes means of transportation and communication, office supplies, drinks and clothing.

All enterprises at home and abroad that have a good reputation are welcome to participate, according to the council.

According to the organizing committee, the site where APEC is held will return to normal operation after the event, and expects to receive more than 20 million tourists.

The event will include meetings, conferences, conventions and exhibitions, with an indirect benefit of tens of billions of yuan and more than 40,000 new employment opportunities.