In 2008，air quality received greatest attention since the last 5 five years. On the one hand，increased confidence on air quality was reported both in Chinese and international media，due to the successful Olympic Games in Beijing and other 6 Olympic cities in China. On the other hand，there are different views about the air quality management measures taken during Olympic games （sustainability） and concerns about impacts of air pollution on the quality of life. This paper aims to 1） present an overview on the air quality in Chinese cities，mainly Beijing，Shanghai，and Guangzhou in 2008，2）introduce a structured framework （AQM） to assess air quality from general public point of view.