High-rise buildings are blanked by heavy smog in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province. Air pollution is a barrier to overcome for Chinese cities to become more livable. [Photo provided to China Daily]

To slash major pollutants by 2020

News of severe air pollution in urban areas has made headlines more and more over the last few years. These indicate the environment is worsening dues to an unsustainable development mode. According to recently published research by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, close to 90 percent of Chinese cities, including Beijing, are in "sub health" conditions.

The Chinese government vows to improve the environment overall and significantly cut down the main pollutants through combining the forces of both government and market by 2020, the year China plans to have built a comprehensively well-off society.