China's Smog Red Alert Risks Raising Hopes for Pollution Fix
- Beijing's red alert likely to remain in effect until Thursday
- Smog blanketing northern China linked to fatal car pileup
A tour boat sails in a river in heavy smog in Suzhou, China, on December 7, 2015.
Photographer: ChinaFotoPressIn issuing the first red alert over pollution levels in Beijing, Chinese authorities left themselves in a bind -- acknowledging the severity of the problem while raising expectations they have a plan to clear the skies.
Officials braved the smog that blanketed the capital Tuesday to try to reassure citizens they were taking action. Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun, who once pledged to cut off his own head if he couldn’t tame pollution, went to Tiananmen Square to speak to residents and oversee the enforcement of car restrictions, according to China Radio International. Beijing’s Communist Party chief Guo Jinlong made a public visit to the city’s environmental protection bureau.