This is unusual as Chinese people generally believe in the saying: “Do not wash your dirty linen in public”. When confronting outside critics, their first reaction is usually to rebuff them. However, with smog plaguing northern China for over a week, people’s anger about air pollution has reached an all-time high.
Criticism of the government’s inability to tackle pollution had been overwhelming in every form of media. People kept their children indoors and wore masks when going out. If the poor air quality continues, nobody will be surprised if public protests occur.
In fact, complaints about air pollution are nothing new in Beijing. For years, the city has been notorious for its sand storms in spring, mainly caused by deforestation and over-grazing in northern areas like Inner Mongolia. While preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing’s city government was also frequently criticised for its air pollution. Some athletes complained the dirty air made it hard to breathe.
To address international concerns, the city administration closed or moved most polluting plants, including those of giant steel corporation Shougang Group. It also joined the central government in allocating funds for grassland and forest reservation in northern areas.
The campaign against sand storms worked well. In recent years, these have been fallen significantly in frequency and severity. Other efforts after the Olympic Games made little progress as the international community shifted its attention away from Beijing.