Obama will be heading to Beijing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, and the Chinese government is essentially putting together a concerted effort to shove all of the clutter in a closet before the guests arrive.
The infamous smog in Beijing is a health concern for the people who live there, in fact the government declared a “war on pollution” in 2013 and now there is what’s being called an “airpocalypse.” Nothing really substantial has been done about it though, not until now. Obama is coming.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Hundreds of factories in Beijing and surrounding provinces are being told to close down for 12 days from Nov. 1. Steel production in the neighboring province of Hebei is expected to fall by 10 percent in November while the province has helpfully vowed to keep household heating at “the lowest acceptable level” during the summit. Beijing’s government, meanwhile, has ordered a week-long break Nov. 7 to 12, with schools told to close and cars ordered off the roads.
The APEC is apparently reason enough to spare the Chinese people from some of the pollution for a brief period of time. In October, Brazilian soccer players there to play a match against Argentina weren’t so lucky when they were basically ordered to stay in their hotels because of the smog when not training. And even some Beijing marathon runners wore face masks for the race.
Last year, the Chinese government unveiled a $280 billion plan to improve air quality, but the effects will take a while and so far there is not much improvement. But when President Obama is on his way, things somehow fall into place. Interesting.
[Photo by flickr user Gerard Metrailler]
