On September 18, 2013, six cities and regions in the northern part of China signed an agreement with the Ministry of Environmental Protection to control and prevent air pollution. The six cities and regions are Beijing, Tianjin, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong, as well as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region – regions that are suffering from severe air pollution.
“In recent years, frequent occurrences of fog and haze have become a shadow in hearts of the people of Beijing, Tianjin, and the surrounding areas. Data show that in August of this year, only 34.6 percent of the days in the month met the safety quality standard, while 65.4 percent did not meet the standard and 2.7 percent were in severe pollution.”
Source: Xinhua, September 18. 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-09/19/c_117428247.htm