being pragmatic the Chinese way

I've found this interview with professor Marshall Meyer (Wharton, management) on the internet and thought it to be a good stroy to illustrate how things work here in Beijing.

Meyer: I'll tell you a little story. In November of last year they had the China-Africa summit. I happened to be there at the time because it was the time of the Wharton 125th Anniversary tour in Beijing. And the air was remarkably clear. At the end of January, the last minute, my phone rings and a senior official in the central government said, "Come over and see me."
I did, and we talked about this and that for half an hour. But I did ask him -- I said, "The air was terrific during the China-Africa summit. What did you do"? And he said, "Oh it was simple -- we seized the car keys." And I said, "What car keys"? And he said, "The keys to all government cars." And I said, "There can't be that many cars." He laughed and he said, "That was a half million cars that we took off the road."
As I said, they are good at execution. They will shut down the worst polluters and they will take many, many cars off the road. And I would bet... if I could make this bet in Las Vegas, I would. I would bet that there will be blue skies for the Olympics in Beijing.