Over the past few years, Beijing, Shanghai and other economically developed areas have suffered from severe air pollution.

But now, the smog is thinning in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities in eastern China, but worsening in the country's inland cities.

ANBOUND’s research team is of the view that the change in the aforesaid circumstances seems to indicate that a handful of the cities in eastern China have went through the most difficult transitional period and they are moving towards environmental improvements.

However, most of the cities in central and western China are facing immense difficulty in transforming their economy while combating air pollution.

The reasons behind this dilemma are the urbanization in central and western China and the pollutions brought by the industries transferred from the eastern China.

The eastern China was polluted and remediated but the lessons were not learnt, the model of 'pollute first, remediate later’ still continues in China.