Clear mornings? Not in Beijing

Thank you for your “Unlocking China” section [Sept. 16]. I enjoyed it very much. While Susan Spano resided much longer than I did in my recent visit to Beijing, I would like to clarify two statements she made.

Yes, the Chinese are planting trees all over, but the trees look like forests of nursery stock, perhaps 2 to 5 years old, and will take years to make any environmental difference.

I would also question Spano’s use of “crystal-clear morning.” Most of the residents of Beijing with whom I came in contact said that such mornings were very rare throughout the year.

Phyllis Specht

Pasadena