China to invest billions in sandstorm controls

China will invest a total of 87.79 billion yuan (13.72 billion U.S. dollars) to help control the sources of sandstorms that affect Beijing and its neighboring Tianjin Municipality, according to the country's top economic planner. The money will be used during the second stage of the sandstorm control project for Beijing and Tianjin during 2013-2022, which was approved by the State Council last month, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said. China initiated the first stage of the control project in 2000 to improve air quality in the country's capital Beijing and Tianjin. In the first 10 years, the government allocated 41.2 billion yuan in the project, which helped restore 6 million hectares of forests. The second stage of the project for 2013-2022 will cover 138 counties in Beijing, Tianjin and other major sandstorm affected areas, including Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to the plan.