Ottawa updates advice on smog in China, adds link to air quality website
OTTAWA - The Department of Foreign Affairs has updated its travel advice for China, providing a link to a website — www.aqicn.info — that monitors air quality in several cities in that country.
"Air pollution is severe, especially in heavily industrialized areas," says the department, which has been giving travel advice concerning air pollution in China since 2004.
"Take this health risk into account and consult your physician prior to travelling if you suffer from respiratory problems."
The smog has been so bad that airlines recently had to cancel flights due to poor visibility in cities including Beijing, Zhengzhou, Qingdao and Jinan.
Visibility was less than 100 metres in some parts of eastern China, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Two particularly bad periods of hazardous air last month received unprecedented coverage in China's state media.
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Online: http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/china
