China to overhaul coal industry
China is shutting down nearly one third of its coal mines due to safety violations that have led to the deaths of nearly 3'000 miners so far this year. China's State Administration of Coal Mine Safety yesterday announced that 1'324 mines would be shut down as a first step towards the closure of 7'000 coal mines nationwide. The mines will be asked to stop their production until they meet national safety standards. If they fail to meet the standards, they will be shut down permanently. Most of the affected mines will be small ones; therefore, the coal industry does not expect a dramatic effect on China's overall production. China is estimated to have around 24'000 coal mines in total. These mines help China meet 70 percent of its annual energy demand.