Air quality in nearly half of China's cities was moderately or seriously polluted, according to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Particulate matter is the major pollutant and most urban citizens are living with excessive particulate matter in the air, said Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the SEPA.

In cities with more than one million people, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter are the top pollutants, said Zhang at an international workshop on regional management of air quality.

"About 48.1 percent of Chinese cities are suffering from moderate or serious air pollution," Zhang said citing the SEPA's report.

At the workshop the SEPA suggested that China together with the United States and the European Union set up a coordinated air quality surveillance system.

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2006)