Air quality is improving across China thanks to government efforts and the rising public awareness, allowing more people to enjoy breathtaking scenery from their homes.
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China's air and water quality continued to improve in the first half (H1) of 2025.
The proportion of days with good air quality in Chinese cities at or above the prefecture level had reached 83.8 percent during this period, up 1 percentage point from the previous year, according to the ministry.
In Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, photography enthusiast Tian Xianghe captures breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains and sparkling stars from his neighborhood.
"Over the years, I've photographed snow-capped mountains more and more frequently. In the beginning, I would only capture them a few times a year, but last year, I managed to shoot them nearly 60 times," said Tian.
Clean and clear air is crucial to see snow-capped mountains over a hundred kilometers away from Chengdu.
In the first half of this year, Chengdu enjoyed 146 days of good air quality, an increase of four days over last year.
According to a report released by local photography enthusiasts, residents spotted snow-capped mountains from their windows 45 times in the first half of the year, setting a new record.
"I came to Chengdu from another city for my studies, and I saw the snow-capped mountains from campus. It turned out that the park city beneath the mountains is real," said Zhang Hengzhuo, a college student in Chengdu.
According to an analysis on air quality data from 339 cities over the past decade, the PM2.5 levels per cubic meter of air have decreased by nearly 40 percent. The average number of blue skies in each city has increased by 22 days per year.
"In the past, we would take pictures just because the sky was blue. Now, we're more inspired by gorgeous sunsets and rainbows. With better air quality, our sense of beauty has definitely evolved," said a resident from Beijing.
Air quality improves across China
The "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle case will greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks after China and the European Union (EU) agreed on the necessity of providing general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese companies exporting battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger cars to the EU.
"China and the EU simultaneously announced on Monday that they had achieved positive outcomes following multiple rounds of consultations on the EV case, a development that has drawn wide attention at home and abroad. Industry players from both sides have 'highly welcomed and fully endorsed' the outcome, saying the 'soft landing' of the case is expected to greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment. Some EU politicians have described it as a positive step toward building a sustainable China-EU trade relationship, and said it demonstrated that resolving trade differences through partnership remains feasible," she said.
"Against the current international backdrop, China and the EU, acting in a spirit of mutual respect and within the framework of WTO rules, have properly addressed the EV case, which is of significant positive importance. The outcome will not only contribute to the sound development of China-EU economic and trade ties and help safeguard the stability of the global automotive industrial and supply chains, but will also send a clear and strong signal that both sides are willing to uphold a rules-based international trading order, setting a good example for countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global economic growth," she said.
"China appreciates the spirit of dialogue showed by the EU side and stands ready to work with the EU, building on the current positive outcomes, to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, maintain dialogue and communication, and support stable industrial and supply chains on both sides, continue to deepen cooperation on the basis of market principles, and make active contributions to the global green transition," she added.
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
