China's State Council, or the Cabinet, has approved measures proposed by authorities in the capital Beijing and its five neighboring administrative regions, to improve air quality in the environs of the city during the upcoming Olympic Games.

An official involved in the project said that to ensure better air quality in the capital the cooperation of these administrative regions was essential.

Last year, burning straw in Beijing's neighboring regions greatly polluted the air in the capital.

Of all the measures being taken to curb the pollution, minimizing coal burning and exhaust emissions from motor vehicles are the two steps that have been given top priority.

Another official said these measures would ensure more Blue Sky days in the capital city - these are days when the quantity of pollutant particles in the atmosphere is below a specified level.

The six administrative regions are going to work together to curb pollution and improve the air quality in Beijing. It is not only a necessity for us due to the Olympic Games, but it is a good mechanism which can be extended to the whole nation.

Besides Beijing, the municipality of Tianjin, the provinces of Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are involved in the project.