Blue sky campaign in Beijing gauges China’s progress

Beijing is an important benchmark of China’s environmental improvement. The number of smoggy days in China’s capital is seen as a score report for environmental protection and how well the municipal government manages the environment sets an example to the entire nation.

Beijing launched by far its strictest anti-pollution campaign on Friday as the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced that most earthwork and rockwork, including demolitions, road and drainage construction, will be shut down from November 15 to March 15.

Decades of fast development has engendered serious environment problems for Beijing as well as many other cities in China. Air pollution is the no.1 challenge.

Beijing issued its first red alert for serious air pollution on December 7, 2015. Traffic controls were imposed, construction sites shut down and factory work suspended.

An unprecedented strict standard must be imposed and be implemented forcefully to tackle the environmental challenge facing Beijing. Further anti-pollution actions will no doubt affect some business operations and disrupt some people’s normal life. It will incur losses for a few companies and slow down the city economy. But there is no perfect choice. It’s a question of sustainable growth for the entire nation.

Sometimes we have to go backwards to go forward. Beijing government can compensate affected companies and reduce costs brought on the local economy. If such measures result in air quality improving to an acceptable level, the capital city will offer a benchmark for other cities in China seeking to balance economic growth with environmental protection. And the results of Beijing’s campaign directly affects how the international community judges China.

Global warming resulted from a development model based on heavy pollution and greenhouse gas emissions leading to abnormal climate conditions in many parts of the world. The survival of humankind will be at danger if environmental conditions deteriorate any further. As the world’s second-largest economy, China, is obliged to protect our planet. The first step is to improve the local environment and so contribute to the improvement of the global environment.

This best proves that China is a responsible power.