The Chinese capital saw its best air quality in recent years in the first six months of this year, with good air quality registered on more than 100 days, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.

The monitoring figures show that the number of days with air quality marked as class-two or above, favorable indices in China's national standards, reached 109, or 27 days more than the same period last year, indicating an almost 15 percent rise.

The bureau said there were 179 days recording class-three air quality or above, average ratings in national air quality standards, accounting for 98.9 percent of the total six-month period.

There were just two days when air quality was class-four or below, meaning a condition of moderately heavy pollution, down by 11 days from the same period last year.

Experts attributed the air quality improvement to expanded use of low-sulfur coal in the city in the first three months of this year, and to the adding of desulfurizer to burning coal, reducing pollutant discharge.

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