Northern China was shrouded in almost-record pollution for a fifth day on Wednesday, closing factories and schools and disrupting flights, traffic and shipping, with some residents complaining that emergency anti-smog measures were not operating.
Hundreds of government inspectors patrolled Beijing on Wednesday to enforce temporary bans on barbecues and make sure that cars with even number plates were the only ones on the roads. Many Beijing high-rises simply disappeared into the gray haze.
Emergency closures of power plants, steel mills and ports to reduce the pollution are expected to pressure coal prices. China is the world's biggest consumer of coal, and winter is peak demand season.