Beijingers are going without barbecue. Construction sites have halted work. Factories hundreds of kilometres away have halted production. Why?
The toxic guest who defied Xi Jinping
The Chinese Communist Party and its General Secretary Xi Jinping wanted clear blue skies for the Congress which started on October 18. The capital enjoys an unusual succession of clear days when the party holds major events, with smoke-churning factories ordered to shut down. But this time, Beijing’s notorious smog has cloaked the mega-city in its trademark toxic haze, says AFP
Barbeque ban
“Even restaurants famous for flavourful shish kebabs turned off their barbeques, with ...lamb delicacies off the menu during the Congress,” AFP adds. Xi had talked about the fight against air pollution during his wide-ranging speech to open the Congress on Wednesday. “We need to prevent pollution from its source, continue the action against air pollution, and win the battle for blue skies.”
115
The count of PM2.5—harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs—according to readings from the US embassy. The WHO’s recommended maximum exposure is 25 over a 24-hour period
‘APEC Blue’ for Barack Obama
Beijingers have coined terms for past events that bring purer air as the government shuts down factories to limit pollution. In 2014, the then US President Barack Obama was welcomed with pristine air for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum; Beijingers called it “APEC Blue”