Is China well prepared for the rapid expansion of an increasing number of big cities such as national and provincial capitals? The severe smog shrouding most major cities in Northeast China is an indicator that more needs to be done to improve the air quality if China is to provide its urban residents with a comfortable and healthy living environment.

In Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, the PM2.5 reading was above 1,000 on Monday, and the air pollution caused a rapid rise in the number of people seeing doctors because of respiratory problems. The burning of coal for heating is no doubt the main culprit, as Sunday marked the beginning of winter according to the Chinese lunar calendar. However, both the central and local authorities failed to pay enough attention to air quality until recently.

Had enough efforts been made to replace fossil fuels with clean energy or to develop the technology to effectively control the emissions of pollutants in recent years, the situation would not be so serious now.