China to redouble efforts on improving air quality: official

China will continue to redouble efforts on reducing PM2.5 concentration, vigorously promoting structural optimization and adjustment, and implementing refined pollution control measures to drive comprehensive improvements in air quality, said an official of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in Beijing on Friday.

At a press conference, Li Tianwei, director of the ministry's Department of Atmospheric Environment, said multiple factors pose challenges to improving air quality.

"The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas, as well as the Fenwei Plain, experience one to two episodes of severe pollution lasting over seven days each autumn and winter. Just three days of severe pollution can raise a city's annual average PM2.5 concentration by approximately one microgram. Meteorological conditions play a crucial role in the dispersion and cumulative transport of air pollutants. Particularly against the backdrop of global warming, extreme weather events may become a new normal, leaving significant uncertainty about the sustained improvement of air quality," he said.

The official said that China's PM2.5 levels still lag considerably behind world-leading levels.

Achieving deep emission reductions currently faces challenges, with limited potential for further reductions through large-scale projects, according to Li. The energy structure dominated by fossil fuels, the industrial structure centered on heavy chemicals, and the transportation structure reliant on highways remain difficult to alter in the short term, he said.

Issues such as improper operation and inefficiency of treatment facilities persist, while technical capabilities and equipment levels at some grassroots ecological and environmental departments lag behind. Sustained improvement in air quality remains a long and arduous journey, said Li.

The official said during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will promote the implementation of an action plan to improve air quality.

This will involve innovating differentiated management policies in finance, pricing, taxation, and environmental protection; deepening structural transformation; accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of traditional industries; vigorously developing non-fossil energy and clean, efficient coal utilization; and encouraging green transportation.

The ministry will plan and implement a series of key emission reduction projects and actions to drive a sustained decline in pollutant emissions.

"In terms of spatial layout, we will optimize three major zones. Focusing on key regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and its surrounding areas, the Fenwei Plain, and the Yangtze River Delta, we will continuously deepen structural transformation and collaborative governance. We will promote the city clusters along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Sichuan-Chongqing region, and the urban agglomeration on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains to benchmark against the key regions and comprehensively enhance governance effectiveness. We will support pilot regions like the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the economic zone on the west coast of the Taiwan Strait, and Hainan Province in benchmarking against world-class standards to explore pathways for sustained improvement under low-concentration conditions," said Li.

China to redouble efforts on improving air quality: official

Shanghai is improving its business environment starting from the neighborhood level to ensure the precision of the city management.

This footpath along the Suzhou Creek is a popular spot for leisure and exercise in the city.

Many visitors of the Fotografiska Museum like to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoor vibe. But in fact, putting chairs outdoors is not a simple matter for the store itself.

When this gallery opened in 2023, it wanted to set up an outdoor seating area.

"We are located by the road and along the creek, so there are many joggers, sports enthusiasts, and tourists passing by. We need to consider how to balance our operations with the flow of people through the area,” said Crystal Cao, guest experience manager of the gallery.

The problem was quickly solved with the help of a "business environment specialist" in the neighborhood.

In Shanghai's North Station neighborhood, 12 specialists each oversee 30 to 40 local companies, ensuring that their requests are addressed promptly.

"My job is to communicate with enterprises and know their needs. If they have requests, we help solve them," said Sun Danyan, a business environment specialist of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.

The gallery shared its plans with the specialist, who then reported them to the neighborhood office. The office coordinates with district-level departments, such as landscaping and city appearance bureaus, to design the outdoor area.

Without such specialists, companies, especially smaller ones, would have to navigate multiple departments on their own, which can be challenging.

"Small companies often have limited access to resources and information. They need our neighborhood office to provide support and help them access the resources they require," said Sang Zhenxiao, office director of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.

Private enterprises account for more than 90 percent of Shanghai's businesses and are a key pillar of the city's economy.

Xu Jiao, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission in Shanghai's Jing'an District, said the business environment is designed to support not only large or foreign firms, but also small local companies.

"The neighborhood is the closest to the companies and the last kilometer in the business environment. So, we use the ‘neighborhood serving as whistle blower to urge departments to report for duty’ to make our job more efficient. Any problems companies meet can be reported to the higher level via this mechanism," he said.

On the first workday of 2026, Shanghai launched its ninth version of the action plan to accelerate the development of a world-class business environment. The plan prioritizes government service efficiency as its first chapter.

Building a world-class business environment is also highlighted in the recommendation for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), signaling a clear commitment to supporting enterprises, especially small and private companies.

Shanghai improves business environment starting from neighborhood level