Environmental issues, especially the nation's problems with smog, will be a major focus at the upcoming plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, according to officials who are busy preparing legislative proposals for the annual meetings.

"I am working on economic and technical proposals that will implement the clean burning of coal, which will help solve our smog problem," said Cao Xianghong, a petrochemical expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The proposal by Cao, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, will suggest that the task of burning coal fall more heavily on large enterprises instead of individual households in order for the government to better manage emissions.