BEIJING - A court in Beijing closed down a company from breaking air-pollution rules.

The ban was issued before the final verdict as a protective measure, the first of its kind in Beijing.

The steel company DuoCai Group was punished in 2016 for discharging fumes and starting production without approval.

The Beijing People's Procuratorate found that the company continued its illegal operations in spite of the punishment.

Considering that the damage one done could be irreversible, the court ruled that the company suspend production, before it could submit any approval from local environmental protection authorities, or proof that its operation does no harm to the environment.

"The ban is a step forward to environmental protection in Beijing," said Zhu Lijia with the Chinese Academy of Governance. "This case sets a good example."