China to close around 10,000 factories this week to ensure blue skies for big parade

Xinhua News Agency reports on preparations for the big parade in Beijing on Thursday

• Temporary controls to last from August 28 to September 4
• More than 10,000 factories reducing or stopping production
• The suspension order for factories and steel mills covers a total of seven provinces      
• Work on nearly 9,000 construction sites stalling
• Restrictions on road traffic
• China is planning a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II
• The area affected is bigger than that during APEC in November 2014

via Wall Street Journal

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Let's hope it all goes off smoothly and safely. Markets will, of course, be concerned about the impact of slowing production in China amidst broader concerns on the economy.