Establishing a long-term system to guarantee funding for air quality monitoring will show China's resolve to fight pollution, environmental officials and experts say.

In a national action plan to combat airborne pollution released on Sept 12, all 338 provincial-level cities are required to start monitoring six airborne pollutants, including PM2.5 - fine particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that can cross the membranes of the lungs - and release the readings by the end of 2015.

Seventy-four cities have started the preparatory work as required since Jan 1, and another 116 are expected to follow suit by the end of this year.