Beijing continues to splash billions in air pollution

BEIJING -- Beijing will spend more than 18.22 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) to fight air pollution in 2017, officials said Saturday.

Beijing aims to control the annual average density of PM 2.5 to around 60 micrograms this year, said Lu Yan, head of the Beijing Municipal Reform and Development Commission.

PM 2.5 are fine particles measuring no more than 2.5 micrometers in diameter.

Average density of PM 2.5 in the Chinese capital was 73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016, down 9.9 percent from the previous year, Lu said.

Beijing reduced coal use by two million tonnes last year, he added.

In 2017, 700 villages will switch from coal to clean energy. Total coal use will be cut by 30 percent to seven million tonnes and 300,000 outdated vehicles will be phased out, according to the Beijing government work report, submitted to the on-going city congress and political consultative conference.