BEIJING -- An air quality early warning system means smoggy weather in China can now be forecasted two or three days in advance, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said on Thursday.

At a meeting on environmental monitoring, Wu Xiaoqing, vice minister of the ministry, said an air quality forecast and early warning center covering the country was in operation. It has a forecast accuracy rate of 60 to 70 percent.

China began air quality forecasts in 47 major cities in 1998.

The new system covers all prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze Delta, Pearl River Delta, areas surrounding Beijing and other capital cities of provincial-level regions.

Wu called for improvements in the system for heavily-polluted air quality through remote sensing and other cutting edge technology, as well as innovating new ways to publicize air quality information.

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