BEIJING -- Only nine of 161 Chinese cities reached the new -- and stricter -- air quality monitoring standards in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection

Beijing has closed the first of four large coal-fired power plants set to be de-commissioned as part of the city's efforts to cut air pollution, official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday, c

Beijing has closed the first of four large coal-fired power plants set to be de-commissioned as part of the city's efforts to cut air pollution, official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday, c

The air quality in 60.3 percent of days in the first half of the year met national standards, up 1.6 percent from the same period in 2013, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Monday.

Beijing's average PM2.5 index of 91.6 micrograms per cubic meter in first half of 2014 represents an 11.2 percent year-on-year decrease, according to a city report.

The Chinese capital plans to invest 47.858 billion yuan ($7.662 billion) to combat air pollution in the next five years, with a special focus on coal-fired pollution, vehicle emissions, industrial

Now that Beijing has become one of three finalists in the race for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the city has once again reiterated its fight against air pollution.

China should establish emissions inventories for all major port cities as soon as possible to detail pollutants from ships and ports, experts have suggested.