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Hebei province will import 200 foreign experts to assist with 50 projects on air pollution control over the next four years, and create an industrial zone in which companies can develop solutions. "We will attract projects and experts mainly from the United States, Britain, Germany and other developed countries," said Jing Qingyu, deputy director of the provincial human resources and social security department, at the department's annual conference on talent in Shijiazhuang earlier this month. In the two designated zones dedicated for environmental protection work in 2017, companies will find ideal conditions for developing various projects, Jing said. The province saw an overabundance of smog in 2013: 236 days with an air quality index worse than the national standard for good air. In addition to a series of measures aimed at cutting polluting industries, the province plans to use foreign experts to lead a campaign against air pollution with better financial support than in the past. Hebei plans to spend 20 million yuan ($6.2 million) for imported talent in 2017, Jing said. To curb worsening air quality, all 11 major cities of the province will introduce programs to attract experts for environmental projects. Zhangjiakou, Beijing's northern neighbor, has already taken a step forward. The city, generally upwind of the capital, created a zone for environmental protection industries and research centers in September. | 
