Chinas capital Beijing issued its first ever red alert, the highest of a four-colour warning system for pollution, late on 7 December, as the city government warned that Beijing would be shrouded in heavy smog for three days starting from the following morning. Chinas leadership has vowed to crack down on environmental degradation, including the air pollution that blankets many major cities, following decades of unbridled economic growth.Dec 8, 2015
