Heavy smog blankets northeast China

Toxic heavy smog hit many regions in northeast China over the weekend and continued on Monday, causing the visibility in some of the worst-affected areas to be reduced to less than 164 feet (50 meters).

The China Meteorological Administration issued a second-level “orange” pollution alert over the weekend after heavy smog shrouded regions such as Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Hubei provinces.

While China has stepped up efforts to tackle air pollution in recent years, including eliminating coal burning in the winter, which had led to the worsening of air quality, analysts said that this year’s priorities will be focusing on growth, given the economic slowdown and the trade war.