China province orders 30% of vehicles off roads for APEC

SHIJIAZHUANG - Five cities in north China's Hebei province, which surround Beijing, will ban 30 percent of vehicles from roads to help ensure cleaner air for the upcoming APEC meeting in the Chinese capital.

The 10-day restriction that starts on Nov 3 applies to the cities of Langfang, Baoding, Tangshan, Zhangjiakou and Chengde, which are all within 200 kilometers of Beijing, the Hebei provincial public security bureau said Friday.

Meanwhile, high-emission vehicles are banned from driving on highways and city roads during the period.

Local traffic police will order trucks, tricycles, motorcycles, tractors and high-emission passenger cars coming from Hebei and other provinces planning to pass through Beijing to return or make a detour.

Beijing will also restrict cars based on an odd-and-even-number rule, allowing cars to drive on alternating days from Nov 3 to 12.

Apart from vehicle controls, the Chinese government has also ordered temporary factory shutdowns in Beijing and neighboring regions during next month's APEC meeting to ensure cleaner air.

Ensuring air quality for the meeting in November is the "priority of priorities" for the current air pollution control work, Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli said on Oct 24.

Beijing has been plagued by four rounds of smog this month.

APEC, short for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, is a summit for leaders of members to discuss the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.

The 21 APEC members, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia, account for over half of the world's economic output, 40 percent of the world's population, and 46 percent of total global trade.

The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Beijing from Nov 10 to 11. During the APEC leaders' week, China will host a series of meetings, including the final senior officials' meeting from Nov 5 to 6, the 26th ministerial meeting from Nov 7 to 8, the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting from Nov 10 to 11, as well as the APEC business and leaders' spouses' events.

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