How can China shift to quality development from high-speed under new economic situation? Adoption of cleaning technology is key to China‘s industrial upgrade and structural transformation. This paper uses EKC to analyze China‘s eastern, central and western regions, and concludes that China has reached the economic level above the inflection point of EKC, passing the conventional path of “first-pollution-then-control”, heading for a environment-friendly and resource-saving society. Four models are used based on 30 provinces’ panel data 2004 to 2017 to verify that the reduction of exhaust gas is mainly contributed by adoption of cleaning technology, not from adoption of pollution controls. FDI and industrial pollution control investments dramatically decrease the exhaust gas emission, energy consumption is statistically outstanding as alternative variable for cleaning technology, pollution discharge fees replaced by industrial pollution control investments is largely increased. This paper presents suggestions on intensifying environmental regulations and effectively guiding enterprises to reform and develop.