The air quality of Beijing has improved markedly with particulate matters in the air reduced by 28.1 percent in the first five months of the year compared with last year.

According to statistics from the State Forestry Administration (SFA), only seven sandstorms hit northern China in the first half of the year, a drastic decline when compared with 18 sandstorms in 2001 and 12 in 2002. Beijing has reported no sandstorm this year.

Beijing also made progress in controlling sand and soil erosion, with the amount of fallen dust reducing by 13.2 percent last year over the figure for 2001, according to the SFA. The volume of silt washed into the Miyun Reservoir, a major drinking water source for Beijing, was 25,000 tons less in 2002 than the amount for the previous year.

SFA deputy director Li Yucai attributed these achievements to improvements in ecological environment in areas around Beijing.

Starting from May 2000, the Chinese government launched a project to improve vegetation in desert areas in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei and Shanxi provinces, Beijing and Tianjin municipalities.

To date, trees and grass have been planted on a total of 3.63 million hectares, with the vegetation coverage rate in the project areas increasing by a maximum of 20 percent on average.

A total of 1.75 million hectares of trees and grass were planted in sandy areas across China in 2002.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2003)