Beijing's dangerous smog down 4% in 2014

Beijing

AIR pollution in Beijing dropped slightly last year, municipal authorities said, although levels of the most dangerous small particulate matter remained more than three times the internationally recommended limit.

China's cities are often hit by heavy pollution, blamed on coal-burning by power stations and industry, as well as vehicle use, and it has become a major source of discontent with the ruling Communist Party.

According to a notice posted on Sunday on the website of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, levels of PM2.5 - small airborne particles with a diameter small enough to deeply…