Hebei sets target to reduce steel production capacity

North China's Hebei province will cut its steel production capacity to 200 million tonnes by 2020 in an effort to combat air pollution.

Total steelmaking capacity in Hebei, neighboring Beijing and for several of the country's 10 most polluted cities, was cut to 239 million tonnes by the end of 2017, from a peak of 320 million tonnes in 2011. Local authorities are planning to cut another 10 million tons this year.

The government has ordered the closure or relocation of environmentally friendly companies from urban areas.

An economic structure dominated by heavy industry is a major contributor to Hebei's severe air pollution.

Hebei has set a target to bring the average PM2.5 concentration down to 55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020, 15 percent less than in 2017. PM2.5, airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size, pose a significant health risk.

Hebei and several other regions around Beijing are home to large steel companies, coal mines, aluminum producers and chemical plants. They are at the forefront of the country's fight against air pollution.