Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual session of China's legislature, Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory disease expert and a deputy of the National People's Congress, said it would be possible to solve China's air pollution within ten years, as long as there is a firm resolution.

Renowned respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan is besieged by reporters while attending a discussion Wednesday, ahead of the annual session of China’s legislature. [Photo / China.org.cn by He Shan]

Commenting on whether smog can cause lung cancer, Zhong said, "The statistics of foreign countries since 2009 show that the smog-forming nitrogen dioxide is closely connected with lung cancer, but as for the link between PM2.5 (major airborne pollutants) and the fatal disease, we need more time to draw a conclusion."

The outspoken expert revealed that China's smog density is five to ten times higher than that of foreign countries.

"The priority for the government is to strike a balance between economic growth and ecological protection," he said. "Law enforcement is weak in environmental protection, so even if the law is breached, what can we do?"

Air pollution has been a hot topic during this year's two sessions, which began on Tuesday, with several legislators weighing in with proposals on the issue.

Zhu Lieyu, a lawyer and NPC deputy, proposed that the Ministry of Environmental Protection should report on its work to the NPC and the minister should resign if the work failed to pass the NPC's scrutiny.

China's efforts in tackling pollution were prominent last year, although the country's rapid economic growth has caused widespread environmental damage.

At the end of last year, a high court in China's eastern Jiangsu Province fined six companies 160 million yuan (US$26 million) for polluting rivers, the highest amount ever in China. The record fine was welcomed as a positive sign that China has begun to get tough on polluters.