The Privileges of China’s Elite Include Purified Air

The elite upper class members of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing have always had special privileges over those without membership, ranging from organic produce to better medical institutions, causing envy amongst ordinary citizens.

The ordinary citizens of Beijing seem to be well-informed on what the elite have that they don’t; however, the idea that the elite breathe the same polluted air as everyone else might not be too accurate.

The Broad Group, a Chinese company, produces machines that filter the air, thus purifying it. The company advertises the presence of its purifiers in many places where many officials live and work, including the Great Hall of the People and the Chinese presidential office.

“Creating clean, healthy for our national leaders is a blessing to the people,” boasts the company’s government-endorsed advertising.

Despite the Chinese government’s support of it, the Broad Group’s advertising campaign has spurred much criticism from lower class Chinese citizens.

“They don’t have to eat gutter oil or drink poisoned milk powder and now they’re protected from filthy air,” said a post on Sina Webo, China’s most popular blogging service. “This shows their indifference to the lives of ordinary people.”

Many find the idea of purified air specifically for China’s elite outrageous, especially when pollution can cause so many health problems.

“Pollution affects the cells of the human body,” said Mrs. Martinez, a teacher in the health academy and a retired nurse. “Chemical substances in the air attack the DNA in cells, and when the DNA is under attack, the cell undergoes something called a mutation, which can be the beginning of cancer.”

The United States Embassy’s air monitoring device has reported extremely hazardous levels of pollution in the Chinese atmosphere, even though Chinese readings deem it only “slightly polluted.”

The readings released by the American Embassy are based on very small particulate matter, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers, because of its ability to enter the lungs so easily. Chinese readings are based on particulate matter at a minimum of more than 10 micrometers, which includes visible sand and dust.

Despite the government’s fear that releasing readings based on smaller particulate matter could potentially worsen the image of some cities, the government does seem to be moving towards releasing more detailed data on pollution to the public. The ordinary citizens of China have a right to know what they are breathing in.

It isn’t surprising that the lower class Chinese resent the elite for their purified air. Clean air is something to be envied, especially somewhere with extreme pollution like Beijing.