China says winter smog battle to have limited impact on economy

[October 21, 2017]    BEIJING (Reuters) - The economic impact of China's tough campaign against smog this winter is expected to be limited, a senior state planning official said on Saturday.

A cyclist wears a face mask on a polluted day in Beijing, China, January 3, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

"Measures to fight pollution don't have a big impact on economic growth," Zhang Yong, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters during a briefing.

As many as 28 cities in northern China have vowed to slash industrial output this winter in a bid to cut smog by at least 15 percent and meet politically important air quality targets for this year.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao and Meng Meng; Writing by David Stanway; Editing by Kim Coghill)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.