Anyone who lives in Beijing has probably been able to tell by the increase in red banners; APEC preparations are underway.

The random holiday that took (government-affiliated) Beijingers by surprise, the pleasant kind of surprise, will also be combined with a campaign to convince people to leave the city – cheap holiday packages and an increase of ‘inconveniences’ in Beijing in order to reduce pollution.

All in all, the city wants to reduce pollution by 40%, the Wall Street Journal reports. To do this, there will be car restrictions – cars with license plates ending in even and odd numbers will not be able to drive on the same days in an attempt to half traffic. The last time this policy was used was during the Olympics in 2008.

Hopefully these preparations will yield results, as Beijing has seen three spells of terrible pollution in the last month alone, a side of Beijing that the government wouldn’t want to show world leaders. Allegedly, the pollution is so bad that it has even caused divorces, and is definitely putting off tourists.

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Keywords: Beijing Aims For 40% Pollution Reduction for APEC