Beijing's Still Years Away From Blue Skies
- Premier Li, announcing new crackdown, vows blue skies again
- At current pace, goal could be decade away: researchers
Commuters, some wearing masks walk to a subway station during the evening rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 21.
Photographer: Andy Wong/APThis article is for subscribers only.
As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang welcomed delegates to Beijing for the annual meeting of the legislature this week, he vowed to "make our skies blue again," raising hopes for residents who started the year under a blanket of smog and have wheezed through periodic bouts of pollution since then.
Researchers and environmentalists say residents may need to be patient -- 10 years or longer, according to estimates, before Li’s aspiration becomes a reality.