Improving air quality seen as 'priority of priorities'

Beijing promises to reduce smog by about a third ahead of APEC meetings

The discharge of pollutants in Beijing and bordering Hebei province and Tianjin is expected to be cut by a third during next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, thanks to a series of air pollution control measures.

"China will take the highest-level measures to guarantee air quality during the APEC meetings," said Chai Fahe, vice-president of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, on Saturday.