Chris James, Senior Associate, Regulatory Assistance Project talks about China's plan to improve air quality.Sustained economic growth and the most significant rate of urbanization ever have transformed China in just a few decades. China's economic growth differs from that of the USA or Europe, as China has grown during a period when the science and public health data about air pollutants and their affects are robust. China. And with nearly every city in China exceeding public health standards for many air pollutants, aggressive actions are needed to reduce pollution. While the Beijing citizen's use of US Embassy air quality data was a cause celebre during the fall of 2011, China has announced plans to require major cities to substantially improve air quality by 2015. These plans now apply to areas covering over half of China's population and more than half of the GDP. require reductions of multiple pollutants at the same time, and a restructuring of the energy sector. What does China's attention to air pollution mean for its economic development? What can the USA or Europe learn from China's focus on environmental problems?