The Chinese national capital will spend 92.7 billion yuan (about US$11.17 billion) in preventing and treating environmental pollution between 2003 and 2007, Beijing Morning News reported Thursday.

The environment in Beijing, as well as its air quality, have been steadily improving over the past five years. Last year, residents enjoyed 203 fair days of good air quality, accounting for 55.6 percent of the whole year, said the newspaper.

In the meantime, more urban infrastructure works have been built. The capital city has also seen noticeable improvements in aspects ranging from the capacity of urban sewage treatment, recycling of solid industrial waste and treatment of urban waste to afforestation levels.

By the year 2002, forest cover in Beijing had reached 45.5 percent, and trash is being collected in an organized manner in the city's 250 urban neighborhoods.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2003)