Beijing is enjoying an unusually long run of clear blue skies thanks to widespread industrial closures ahead of the most important international event hosted by President Xi Jinping.
The “New Silk Road” summit has attracted 29 national leaders from four continents and also prompted a nationwide security clampdown, as authorities try to ensure that it proceeds without a hitch. More than 80 other countries, including North and South Korea, are dispatching lower-ranking representatives to the event.
On Thursday morning, a number of subway stations near the defence ministry were closed abruptly, but reopened later in the day. The ministry has been the site of occasional protests by thousands of demobilised soldiers over the past year, and any recurrence would be embarrassing for the Chinese government.