All eyes are on China this week – most of this month, in fact. The long-awaited Beijing games kick off on Friday, and the most discussed topic of the games seems to have nothing to do with sports. It’s been the question of air pollution. The world waits to see if the draconian efforts of the Chinese government will give them the ‘blue sky games’ they are hoping for.

The claim is that US$10 billion has been spent trying to clean up the air: Half the cars are off the road, factories and construction sites have been shut down, much of the working population has been given a compulsory (and probably unpaid) holiday. Foreign athletes are being given masks to wear as they prepare for their events.

The media is breathlessly waiting for the answer: Will it work?