China may see coal shortage
While China's current annual coal production is around 1.67 billion tons, its expected consumption by 2010 will be 2.2 billion tons per annum. The latest predictions are a matter of concern for the vice director of the State Administration of Work Safety. Speaking at the Eighth China Beijing International High-tech Exposition, the vice director warned of an annual coal shortage of 330 million tons by 2010. In order to make up for the anticipated shortfall China will have to increase output from its mines. This is particularly worrisome for the State Administration of Work Safety since China does not have the best record when it comes to mine safety. To make matters worse, Beijing finds itself facing a Catch-22 because its recent moves to tighten the safety control on coalmines could lead to a drop in production. Coal is China's fundamental energy source, accounting for 87.4% of the total energy resources.