Many may have wondered how top Communist Party leaders cope with the dense smog that frequently chokes the capital, with air quality recently plunging to the worst levels since before the 2008 Olympics.
The answer turns out to be simple: mainland leaders, keenly aware of the health hazards of air pollution, have been enjoying a special supply of clean air for years.
While it is no secret that the top officials and senior cadres have had the privileges of using tegong, special supplies of all sorts of things, from food to cigarettes, stationery and electronic appliances for decades, it is the first time secrets about the air quality in prestigious government buildings have been made public.
The revelation, by a mainland manufacturer of air purifiers, has fuelled bitterness and resentment among Beijingers, increasingly frustrated about the almost unbearable dirty air and the lack of progress in the hugely expensive government-led campaign to clean up pollution.
According to the Broad Group, a Hunan-based air-conditioner maker, at least 200 air purifiers are installed inside Zhongnanhai, the top leadership compound where President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders work and live.
'They are everywhere in Zhongnanhai, from living rooms and meeting rooms to swimming pools and gyms,' the website of one of the company's Beijing dealers said. 'It is a blessing for the people that our purifiers have created a healthy and clean environment for state leaders.'
