akiko okamoto, nhk world. >> that's it for business news.'ll leave you now with the markets. >>> the winner's of this year's nobel peace prize have called for dialogue for bring an end to conflicts in syria and elsewhere. representatives it at th tunisian quartette met wednesday. the quartet is made up of members of labor unions, lawys, business sector and human rights group. >> i want to say to people everywhere we can for peace. the only way -- to resolve world problems. >> other representatives said conflicts can not be resolved by weapons which merely lead to destruction. and dialogue is the only way forward in syria and libya. the norwegian nobel committee awarded the squatette peace prize for its role. s it in 2015 were it was the arab spring uprising two years earlier. the award ceremony will take play at oslo's city hall on thursday. >>> politicians and activists in washington are urging beijing to release a peace prize laureate. lawmakers in the u.s. house and human rights activistsade the appeal for hew's freedom. he was sentenced

akiko okamoto, nhk world, tokyo. >> more in business news next hour.'ll leave you now with a check on markets. >>> authorities in beijing have the first time issued the city's highest air pollution alert. they are restricting vehicle traffic and factory operations. beijing's government issued a red alert at 7:00 p.m. on monday. the warning means severe pollution is expected to last more than three days. the density of hazardous pm-2.5 particles in the air topped 200 micrograms per cubic meter in many areas on monday. starting at 7:00 a.m. on tuesday, use of privately owned vehicles is to be restricted based on their license plate numbers. factories causing pollution are required to shut down. others must reduce their power consumption. authorities are advising that children, the elderly and those with respiratory diseases remain indoors. they have urged closures of kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools. the government has also taken measures that include shutting down coal-burning power plants. >>> china's president has a pledge to pump $60

nhk world's akiko okamoto went to find more. >> reporter: employees with one of america's best-knownt food chains recently launched their second outpost in tokyo. staff at taco bell serve quick and cheap mexican cuisine. they offer dishes such as burritos and tacos, popular in the u.s. but unfamiliar to people in japan. taco bell opened stores in the '80s but struggled to market their food so they shut up shop. thgs are different this time. managers have been able to use social media to push their brand. the company has returned at a time when an influx of foreign visitors is helping to globalize japan's fa food industry. and they've come up with a new strategy. they're offering office workers breakfast dishes with ingredients such as sausages and bacon, already popular among japanese diners. >> translator: i rarely eat mexican food, but the burrito has scrambled eggs inside, something i eat all the time. so it's a good breakfast meal. >> a senior manager at taco bell describes japan as a crucial market. >> you know, japan has such a huge power influence to other asian markets. the t