Hong Kong, southern China leaders plan talks over pollution

HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - Chief Executive Donald Tsang said he will meet southern Chinese leaders next month to tackle rising pollution.

The talks are the latest effort from Tsang, who last week went urged citizens to reduce electricity usage in order to cut emissions from power stations, as he moves to clean up the city's air.

'Hong Kong's air is more polluted than it was 10 years ago, but I want you to know that I take this issue very seriously, and I am working with my colleagues in the government to deal with it as best and as quickly as possible,' Tsang told RTHK radio.

'I will meet our Guangdong counterparts early next month to take stock of the measures we have taken,' he said.

Air quality has deteriorated in Hong Kong so much that smog reduced visibility to less than a kilometer on more than 50 days last year, a record in this southern Chinese territory.