Chinese mock official for blaming cooking fumes for pollution

A Chinese official's remarks that cooking fumes must share the blame for Beijing's choking pollution drew ridicule from many microbloggers, who mocked the government for not addressing the root causes of smog that can blanket the city for days. The head of Beijing's Foreign Affairs office, Zhao Huimin, stunned Internet users when he said, "Chinese people's cooking actually makes no small contribution to PM2.5," referring to the tiny particulate matter that is most hazardous to health.

The government announced a series of plans over the years to tackle pollution in cities, but none has worked. (Reuters)