As Delhi once again grapples with hazardous air quality, thick smog and a seasonal surge in respiratory illnesses, China has stepped forward with an offer of assistance, drawing on its own experience of reversing a severe pollution crisis. Beijing, which was once infamously labelled the world’s “smog capital”, has managed to significantly improve its air quality over a little more than a decade. With Delhi’s air remaining in the severe category for much of the past week, the Chinese embassy has publicly shared a detailed, step-by-step account of how the Chinese capital addressed its pollution problem.
In a detailed post on X, Chinese embassy spokesperson Yu Jing acknowledged that both India and China have faced similar challenges as a result of rapid urbanisation, industrial growth and rising vehicle use. She emphasised that achieving cleaner air is not an overnight process, but stressed that sustained and coordinated action can deliver tangible results over time. To underline her point, she shared before-and-after images of Beijing’s skyline, along with a comparison of air quality readings from December 15. On that day, Delhi recorded an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 447, while Beijing’s AQI stood at a comparatively moderate 67.
Yu Jing’s post laid out several key strategies that Beijing adopted, particularly in tackling vehicular pollution. She noted that China introduced ultra-stringent vehicle emission standards, comparable to Euro 6 norms, and systematically phased out older, highly polluting vehicles from its roads. While India has already implemented BS-VI emission standards for vehicles manufactured after April 1, 2020, the Chinese official pointed out that enforcement plays a critical role in making such policies effective. In Delhi’s case, despite recurring episodes of toxic air since Diwali, restrictions on non-BS VI vehicles were imposed only recently.
Beyond emission norms, the Chinese embassy spokesperson highlighted additional measures used in Beijing, including licence-plate lotteries to limit vehicle ownership, odd-even and weekday-based driving restrictions, and large-scale investments in public transport infrastructure such as metro rail and bus networks. She also stressed the importance of rapidly scaling up electric mobility as part of a long-term solution.
Another key factor behind Beijing’s progress, Yu Jing said, was strong regional coordination. Pollution control policies were implemented jointly across the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region to prevent pollution from simply shifting from one area to another. According to her, this integrated approach was crucial in ensuring that gains in air quality were sustained rather than undermined by emissions from neighbouring regions.
Through her post, the Chinese embassy signalled that while air pollution is a complex and deeply rooted problem, Beijing’s experience shows that consistent policy enforcement, regional cooperation and investment in clean transport can gradually transform even the most polluted cities.
