The Washington Post reports:

BEIJING, Aug. 10 -- Despite official hesitation, more than a million cars will be barred from Beijing's streets next week in a test of radical anti-pollution measures for next summer's Olympic Games, the city announced Friday.

The sweeping restrictions, set for Aug. 17 to Aug. 20, illustrate China's determination to be seen, at home and abroad, as doing its utmost to combat the capital's noxious air pollution in preparation for the Games.

The Communist Party government has vowed to make the Beijing Olympics a success, hoping they will become a shining moment in China's emergence on the world stage. But Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, suggested Wednesday that some events, such as long-distance races, might have to be postponed if smog is too heavy during the competition.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/10/AR2007081000748.html?wpisrc=newsletter