The Chinese capital Beijing met state air quality standards for the first time last year, officials said on Tuesday, a milestone lauded by experts, who also warned that pollution remained high in one of the world’s most populous cities. China declared war on pollution in 2014 after a series of hazardous smog build-ups in Beijing and elsewhere triggered widespread public anger and prompted concerted efforts to cut coal consumption, reduce transportation emissions, relocate heavy industry, and crack down on violations. “The improvements are real…and happening across the industrial belt surrounding Beijing, as well as in much of the rest of the country,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. But he warned that pollution remained high enough to […]