New analysis of Chinese cities, to be published later this year, quantifies the opportunities for urban and industrial innovation that transition to a circular economy could bring, after decades of rapid development and urbanisation. The research was conducted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in partnership with Arup and McKinsey & Company, supported by UNCTAD, funded by the MAVA Foundation, and with extensive consultation with government departments, academics and business circles in China. It finds that applying circular economy principles to transform China’s cities could not only make goods and services more affordable for citizens, but also reduce the impacts normally associated with middle class lifestyles, such as traffic congestion and air pollution.