Also on the agenda

The State Council executive meeting also covered a number of other topics, and reported progress on various ongoing projects.

By 2015, northern China will see the renovation and repair of about 80,000 km of urban gas pipes and 100,000 km of heating pipes.

Within the same time frame, about 85 percent of urban sewage and 90 percent of sanitary waste will be sent through processing facilities that render it harmless.