(Associated Press) - China's government has ordered 2,087 steel and cement mills and other factories with poor energy efficiency to close as it struggles to cut waste and improve the country's battered environment.

The "backward" facilities produce steel, coke, aluminium, paper and other materials in areas throughout China and must close by late September, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced Sunday.

Authorities said last week that a five-year plan to improve energy efficiency suffered a setback this year as China's economic rebound and a construction boom boosted demand for steel, cement and other energy-intensive products.

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