China says winter smog battle to have limited impact on economy

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

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. "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)