Harsher fines help clean up nation's air

Environmental protection authorities have reined in polluters by using the "teeth" of regulations and laws to levy record fines in the first four months of the year, prompting polluters to clean up their acts, a senior environmental official said.

As a result of that move and other efforts to curb pollution, air quality nationwide has witnessed continued improvement, a new report said.

In May, the air quality of China's 74 major cities improved, with the major airborne pollutants reduced greatly, based on the monthly air quality report released on Monday by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.