Li to lawmakers: Time to 'make skies blue again'

China will take effective steps to strengthen environmental protection - especially in controlling air pollution - in 2017 to markedly reduce major airborne pollutants and "make our skies blue again", Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday.

Li delivered the Government Work Report to lawmakers in the morning at the opening of the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

"Faster progress in the work of improving the environment, particularly air quality, is what people are desperately hoping for, and it's critical to sustainable development," he said.