China's anti-pollution tech is going premium, but it can't make dirty air go away

Air purifying technology may be a sticking plaster for China's pollution but is it better than nothing for the country's chronic problem?

Behind a red wooden door, down a Beijing alley, lies what is allegedly the cleanest air spot in the smog-sodden city. Numerous air purifiers gently whir in the Breathing Space Courtyard, in the Chinese capital's Beixinqiao area.

Dotted around the courtyard's main building, which houses the headquarters of Beijing startup Origins Technology, are small, sleek alarm clock-like monitors showing air quality index (AQI) readings. Called Laser Eggs, these 499 yuan (53) monitors display flicking numbers that seldom go above 10, showing officially "excellent" air quality levels, according to the scale recognised by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection.