Was China's former leader, Deng Xiaoping, who urged his countrymen to "seek truth from facts". But for the many in China who distrust government data, that sage advice can be hard to follow. In the case of official reports about the improving air quality in Chinese cities, however, taking Mr Deng's advice is easier. To evaluate a specious government report of yet another "blue-sky day", you need only look out the window, sniff the air, orfor the brave-take a deep breath. In Beijing recently the facts have been speaking for themselves. Smog is often so bad that residents cannot see buildings just across the street, schools cancel outdoor activities and the airport cannot operate. For those who do not trust their own burning eyes and scratchy throats, other sources of information are available. A controversial monitoring station at the American embassy in Beijing has for several years been issuing hourly reports from that single location. Chinese pressure groups have also begun monitoring campaigns of their own, and all these readings have been widely distributed over Chinese websites and social media, including the vastly popular Weibo microblog platform. Despite their methodological failings, they have been enough to arouse public ire and now to force a change.
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