A recent article in the Financial Times predicted that Beijing might witness an exodus of expatriates this summer due to air pollution, after the newspaper talked to diplomats, senior executives and international headhunters.

Beijing, which has been emerging as a "city of opportunity" in the East, is now seeing its appeal dented due to health issues. The smog that blanketed the nation's north and east in the past months has exposed China's problems as a developing country. It is a wondrous land of opportunity, but it also has an ugly side, with pollution being one of the biggest headaches.

Some netizens were eager to use the report to criticize. They said China was still at the stage of the industrial revolution that the West once experienced. It seems that Beijing is unable to provide both business opportunities and high living standards.

The government has promised to make greater efforts to tackle the pollution crisis. For instance, 100 billion yuan ($16 billion) is to be spent over the next three years to turn Beijing green. But still, there is no fundamental solution in the short term.

At the core of the issue there are problems with unsustainable methods of energy consumption, industrial development and lifestyle demands. There are also experts who attribute Beijing's environmental crisis to the extreme pressures caused by its population of over 20 million people.

Having foreigners vote with their feet is not necessarily a bad thing for the nation. The public has accepted the necessity of rethinking the relationship between economic growth and environmental protection. Fighting pollution has become one of the government's top priorities.

In the meantime, information transparency is being boosted. Pressed by a public that wishes to see China progress in terms of fighting pollution, the authorities have made real-time air quality information available online.

For the more than 110,000 expats in Beijing, air pollution has apparently become a bigger concern in the wake of January's worst ever air pollution index. The term "Beijing cough" has entered the local lexicon.

There is no hard statistical data showing how many expats will see the smog as the deciding factor in terms of whether they will flee Beijing. But the hesitation of global talent, when facing economic opportunities from China that are unfortunately accompanied by the health effects of chronic pollution, will last for quite a while. After all, it will take time for China to become a truly developed country where economic opportunities and blue skies are both in abundance.