I was there a few years ago and the underlying infrastructure wasn’t too bad. The people were also very friendly and the place felt safe to be in. I did need to take significant dosed of (otherwise rarely taken) asthma reliever and preventer. The concoction of chemicals in the air is far more potent than sulphur dioxide by itself. If you go there, don’t eat fresh water fish as the rivers are all polluted.

For the period of several weeks leading up to the games, heavy industry will be curtailed and displaced workers reassigned (possibly to Olympic duties). Hawkers, touts and “undesirables” will undoubtedly be moved out of town – although they aren’t really a problem anyway. Dust storm frequency depends on the time of year and obviously cannot be controlled.

I would expect the industrial disruption to be temporary and insignificant as far as the games go – but the longer term challenges of cleaning up China’s pollution will have a presents an extreme challenge for the next decade or so. This is an area where China can and should be partnered.