Olympics: Haze-shrouded Beijing could restrict more cars and shut more factories if air pollution persists during the Olympic Games.
Beijing has ordered many cars off roads and halted much construction and factory production in an effort to cut smog before the Games open on August 8th.
But the city has still endured hazy skies over the past week, and again on Monday, raising fears that the sultry heat Beijing often experiences in August could make for a cocktail of haze, fumes and dust for tens of thousands of athletes and visitors.
An official newspaper indicated authorities may take more drastic steps to choke off pollution.
"More vehicles could go off the roads and all construction sites and some more factories in Beijing and its neighbouring areas could be closed temporarily if the capital's air quality deteriorates during the Olympic Games," the China Daily said.
Pollution has been one of the biggest worries for Games organisers who have said they may reschedule endurance events to prevent health risks to athletes.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) today said it would permit athletes to withdraw from their events if pollution poses a threat to their health and safety.
AOC vice president Peter Montgomery said athletes had the freedom to pull out of events if pollution levels remained high but doubted whether anyone would withdraw from their events.
"For us the athlete's attitude to the event is paramount," he told reporters. "If they don't want to compete that is fine. They will be under absolutely no pressure to compete if they feel uneasy or don't want to compete - we won't be demanding that they still compete.
"It will be extremely unlikely that an athlete won't want to compete. Most of the athletes have been training for 10 years for this moment."