Olympics bid fuels drive for clean air

For Nick Ward, a snow-boarding enthusiast from the United States who lives in Beijing, the only issue holding back his skiing passion in the Chinese capital is the heavy haze that sometimes shrouds North China.

"I've never seen the smog back home (in New Hampshire, a northeastern state of the US). It happens now and then here even in winter, and it's really an obstacle for outdoor sports," said Ward, who has been in Beijing for two years.

The severe air pollution in Beijing, especially in autumn and winter, has been a headache for outdoor exercisers and sporting event operators in recent years. However, Beijing's joint bid with Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games has offered a chance to reduce the pollution through cooperative efforts.