Beijing Is Booming; Talent Is Leaving Due to Bad Air

The most talented workers expect top workplace amenities, not to mention basics like clean air. A persistent cloud of foul, acrid air pollution is prompting growing numbers of expatriates and talented Chinese workers to abandon Beijing, reports Peter Ford for the Christian Science Monitor. Some companies offer extra hazard pay to keep employees in the city and can count on higher health costs for respiratory illnesses, while foreign executives are reported to increasingly turn down Beijing assignments. “The trend is anecdotal for the time being; nobody appears to have compiled any statistics yet, but human resources experts say the movement is clear and a handful of departures have attracted attention in the foreign business community,” Ford reports. The trends could prompt companies to relocate or expand elsewhere in China. Chinese officials initially denied air-pollution problems, but foreign embassies post readings and other Chinese cities reference Beijing pollution in their publicity. China has promised to introduce new automobile emissions standards, construct new power stations and close coal-burning ones in Beijing. Swift environmental protection could salvage Beijing’s reputation. – YaleGlobal