Economics
A Year After China's 'Iron Hand' Hit Polluters, Air Still Chokes
- Don't sacrifice environment for GDP growth, says vice minister
- Some progress made against polluters, but problems persist
Tourists visit the Zhan Bridge in Qingdao on Feb. 12. About 80 percent of 338 monitored Chinese cities, including Beijing, failed to meet official air quality standards last year
Photographer: ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Embracing a groundswell of public outrage about toxic air ahead of annual legislative meetings last year in Beijing, China’s President Xi Jinping threatened to punish polluters with an “iron hand.”