BEIJING - China is to halt sales of diesel with sulphur content above 10 parts per million (ppm) to address air pollution.

From Wednesday, no more diesel with sulphur content of more than 10 ppm will be supplied, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

Reduction in sulphur content will lower polluting emissions from tractors, locomotives, engineering machinery and boats.

The 28 cities in China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area will adopt the tougher "National VI" emission standard, the top economic planner said.

Emissions from vehicles are a major source of air pollution in China. With the war on pollution in full swing, China has signalled its intention to join countries such as Britain and France and ban the manufacture and sales of cars running on traditional fuel.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology disclosed in September that the country had started research on a timetable to phase out production and sales of fossil fuel cars.