The Chinese government, in a bid to reduce pollution levels in the smog-hit capital Beijing has restricted the expansion of industries such as textiles, chemicals and paper and oil refining, according to a new list of controls published by the government.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection showed that Beijing’s average readings of tiny airborne particles that are hazardous to health, known as PM2.5 has touched 91.6 micrograms per cubic metre in the first half of 2014, down 11.2 percent year on year,

A new list of restrictions published on the official Beijing government website (www.beijing.gov.cn), has said that it will ban further expansion of a wide range of industries, including textiles, as part of wider environmental controls.

The new list of restrictions had been produced to aid Beijing’s plans to restructure its economy and promote integrated development with the neighbouring regions of Hebei and Tianjin.

China is also considering plans to create a “super-region” around Beijing by relocating industries, improving transportation, breaking down administrative barriers and setting unified industry standards.

It is also planning to relocate some non-essential government functions to Hebei and is studying a proposal to relocate as many as 5 million people outside of the city, according to local media reports.

Beijing which has been constantly developing is now facing a series of problems, including overpopulation, congestion, water shortages and air pollution - these deep-rooted problems are related to the fact that the city has too many functions, and its economy is too big.