This is good news, in a way. China's pollution is being carried around the world every day-- now that local weather conditions are forcing Beijing to bear the full brunt of their poison, hopefully the Chinese government will take action.
In just a year before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they reduced Beijing's pollution levels to "enough to see the blue sky", in time for international visitors to arrive.
They have a billion citizens. Their livelihoods cost nothing. Nothing except their face ("public image") will make them improve living standards for the masses.