Li breaks silence on Beijing pollution

China’s incoming premier Li Keqiang became the first top official to address the wave of heavy smog covered Beijing over the weekend, saying there was no quick fix for the country’s pollution, Reuters reported. Li, current vice premier, stated the need to strengthen environmental management as well as personal protection but did not offer specifics. “There has been a long-term build up to this problem, and the resolution will require a long-term process,” Li said. His comments were the first from a member of the Communist Party’s top seven-member Politburo Standing Committee regarding recent pollution levels in Beijing. Over the weekend, air quality in Beijing peaked at 755 on an index measuring PM2.5 particles, the most dangerous variety, in the air. A level above 300 is considered hazardous.