Beijing will take tough steps to control air pollution during the APEC senior officials' meeting in the city by launching stricter emergency actions than called for if a pollution warning is issued.

The Tiananmen gate tower under the clear sky in Beijing. [File photo]

China is hosting the Third Senior Officials' Meeting and related meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Beijing from Aug 6 to 21, when there will be about 100 sessions covering topics including trade, investment, agriculture, food and anti-corruption.

The senior officials' meeting will involve a large number of participants and a more intensive schedule than the two previous meetings, which were held in Ningbo of Zhejiang province and Qingdao of Shandong province.

The city will launch tougher, comprehensive measures to control air pollution effectively for the events, said Yao Hui, deputy director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, adding that updates on air quality will be issued and sent to the public quickly if air quality worsens.

When at any point during the conference the air quality index is estimated at higher than 200 for the next three days, the municipal government will issue an orange alert, which is the second-highest level in the four-level warning system.

In such an event, Beijing will take tougher measures than called for under an orange alert. It will put into effect the steps called for under a red alert, the highest level, including forbidding the use of 70 percent of government vehicles and restricting the use of private vehicles based on even- and odd-numbered license plates.

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