Weekend Long Read: Why China Should Get Tougher on Smog

As of early 2025, northern China is grappling with persistent air quality issues, exemplified by the recent sandstorms that swept through Beijing and surrounding regions on March 22. These events have significantly increased PM 10 concentrations, disrupting daily life. Factors contributing to these sandstorms include unusually high temperatures and low precipitation levels in Mongolia and northern China, compounded by cold air movements that facilitate dust transport. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated in its Airborne Dust Bulletin that climate change may exacerbate dust storms in parts of Asia, with the Gobi Desert and Central Asia potentially becoming new hotspots due to warming-induced snowpack reductions and stronger surface winds [para. 1].

Northern China's air quality challenges are not new, with similar sandstorms occurring in the spring of 2023. Rising spring temperatures, attributed to climate change, have loosened soil in dusty regions, increasing sandstorm likelihood. This situation underscores the intertwined nature of climate change and regional air pollution issues, both largely driven by fossil fuel combustion. Addressing these issues through an integrated approach could enhance air quality while mitigating climate change's long-term impacts [para. 2].

Efforts to improve air quality are underway, with China reducing its annual average PM 2.5 levels by 2.7% in 2024, achieving the 2025 target of a 10% reduction from 2020 levels ahead of schedule. However, air quality remains a concern, with many advocating for stricter standards to protect public health. Despite the improvements, discussions are ongoing about aligning China's air quality standards with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations, highlighting growing public health concerns [para. 3].

Government initiatives, such as those by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), are revising the Ambient Air Quality Standards to enhance environmental quality and public health protection. These revisions aim to strengthen control measures for PM 2.5 and other key pollutants, advancing China's air pollution management to a higher level. This move is expected to synergize with ongoing climate action and support China's transition to more sustainable energy sources [para. 4][para. 5].

China's air quality improvements have been significant, though current standards are not sufficient for sustained progress, according to WHO's updated Air Quality Guidelines. By lowering PM 2.5 standards, China can reduce chronic disease incidence, lower medical expenses, and boost public health, while driving energy transitions and supporting its "dual carbon" goals, which aim for carbon emissions to peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 [para. 6][para. 7].

The ongoing formulation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, guided by the MEE, underscores the importance of strengthening PM 2.5 standards as part of air pollution prevention. Achieving further improvements in air quality requires integrative efforts during this planning period [para. 9]. The rate of PM 2.5 concentration reduction varies across China, with cities in western and southern provinces showing significant progress, though increasing air pollution in some regions highlights the need for continued regulatory pressure [para. 11][para. 12].

Stricter standards will likely yield substantial health and economic benefits, reducing disease incidence and enhancing national competitiveness through industrial upgrades and green economy promotion. For instance, by reducing PM 2.5 concentrations to certain levels, China could avoid hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually, generating significant economic savings [para. 21].

Chengdu's successful air pollution control efforts in 2024 serve as a model, prioritizing emission reductions from mobile sources and industrial sectors. This comprehensive approach demonstrates the effectiveness of combining policy optimization and technology to achieve cleaner air [para. 22]. In future efforts, China aims to focus on optimizing industrial structures, controlling transportation emissions, and strengthening regulations in key regions, advancing toward integrated environmental and economic development. These strategies have the potential to significantly improve China's air quality and ensure a sustainable future [para. 23].