Time needed to clear pollution

Strong measures taken by the government to curb air pollution may contribute to better air during the APEC meetings in Beijing, but to resolve the problem at its core will take much longer, experts said.

China plans strict measures for pollution control during the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference meetings, which started in Beijing on Wednesday and will last until Tuesday.

Plans for the week include an odd-even license plate ban, which allows cars on the roads only on alternate days to reduce traffic, limiting the production of factories that are heavy polluters and suspending construction at some sites.