China to launch 15 rounds of smog inspections over winter: ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to conduct 15 rounds of inspections during its new campaign to curb smog during winter, the environment ministry said on Friday, as the country strives to meet politically important air quality targets.

In a document released during a press briefing in Beijing, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said the inspections would begin on Sept. 1 and continue until the end of March 2018.
The ministry said in a detailed 143-page plan published last week that it would force 28 smog-prone northern cities to cut emissions of small breathable particles by at least 15 percent in the coming months.