Beijing to Raise Threshold for Issuing Air Pollution 'Red Alerts'
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Photo taken on Dec. 23, 2015 shows the buildings in smog in Shijingshan District of Beijing, captial of China. Beijing lifted air pollution red alert at midnight on Tuesday.[Photo: Xinhua/Zheng Huansong]

Beijing is to raise the thresholds for issuing its highest air pollution warnings.

The decision came after smog triggered the city's first ever "red alerts" two months ago.

Beijing's environmental protection bureau said in future, the highest alert will only be issued when the daily average air quality index is forecast to exceed 500 for a day, 300 for two days in a row or 200 for four days.

At present, a red alert is issued when the index is forecast to exceed 200 for at least three days.

The new criteria takes effect at the end of March and are designed to standardise pollution alerts across Beijing, neighbouring Tianjin and four cities in Hebei province.

It will then expand to a larger area.

Beijing last month announced it would close 25-hundered small highly-polluting firms this year. It also plans to develop a network of ventilation "corridors" to help disperse smog.

But environmental officials also admit that China is unlikely to meet air quality standards until at least 2030.

Author： 　　　Source：CRI　　　 Editor：Yang Fan