China launches new air quality inspections

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has announced that it will run a campaign of unannounced and drone inspections of air quality from Oct. to next March.

Unlike regular checks, in which companies and authorities targeted are usually notified beforehand, the upcoming inspections will be conducted at random times, and those found wanting will be immediately named and shamed, said the ministry in a statement on Wednesday.

The inspections will look at a wide range of issues including emissions of key polluting companies, automobiles, emergency responses in periods of severe smog, small companies that haven't met state standards and the enforcement of various environmental rules in government departments and service industries.

Drone inspections in Tianjin Municipality and the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan -- regions plagued by relatively severe air pollution, are already under way.

Local governments will be informed of illegal environmental acts within their jurisdictions and will be responsible for punishing violators and forcing corrections, the statement said.