'Sub-healthy' cities a warning sign

Almost 90 percent of Chinese cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, are "sub-healthy", says a study conducted by the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. According to the environmental health index, Beijing ranks as low as 206th among the 300 cities at the prefecture level or above. The findings of the recent report should be a wake-up call for local governments to take environmental protection measures, says an article on gmw.cn. Excerpts:

Chinese people are not unfamiliar with negative reports on city health. Yet they may still be surprised to know that very few cities in China can be termed healthy for residents.

A city's healthiness reflects the level of its people-oriented policies. Judging from all known indicators - economic, environmental and public services - only cities with sound eco- and people-oriented management can be truly called healthy and sustainable.