China's air quality in 2025 reached its best level since monitoring began, said Li Tianwei, an official from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Friday.
During this period, the average PM2.5 concentration in cities at or above the prefecture level was 28 micrograms per cubic meter. Good air quality days accounted for 89.3 percent, while heavily polluted days dropped to 0.9 percent, all marking the best performance since the start of monitoring, Li, director of the ministry's Department of Atmospheric Environment, told a press conference.
"Regionally, significant improvements have been seen in key areas. During the 14th Five-year Plan period (2021-2025), the country's overall air quality has been characterized by better conditions in the south and larger improvements in the north. Seven of the 10 provinces with the lowest concentration of PM2.5 in 2025 are in the south. The 10 provinces with the greatest improvements are all in the north. Notably, PM2.5 concentration in the two key areas -- the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and nearby areas, and the Fenhe-Weihe Plain area -- fell by 27 percent and 32.1 percent, respectively. Cities in the two areas account for less than one-sixth of the country's cities, yet nearly all of the top 20 cities with the largest PM2.5 improvements are located there. In particular, Linfen City in north China's Shanxi Province recorded a PM2.5 concentration of 35.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025, a 46.5 percent drop from 2020, the largest drop in the country," said Li.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the nationwide PM2.5 concentration decreased by 20 percent, Li said.
Currently, 29 cities have a GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan (about 144.45 billion U.S. dollars), with an average PM2.5 concentration of 27.8 micrograms per cubic meter, better than the national average, according to Li.
These cities have all seen significant improvements during the 2021-2025 period, demonstrating through tangible governance achievements that economic growth and blue sky protection can advance together and achieve a win-win outcome, Li added.
China posts record air quality in 2025: 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
Shanghai improves business environment starting from neighborhood level
