China's National Development and Reform Commission has mapped out its development plans for the next five years in line with the country's 12th five-year plan (2011-15) for nine main domestic industries including the steel industry.
Accordingly, in the 2011-2015 period, China's steel industry will accelerate the construction of steel production bases in coastal areas and will also optimize the distribution of steel production capacities among the various regions of the country.
Xu Zhongbo, professor of metallurgy at Beijing University of Technology, has stated that in his view China will accelerate the development of the steel industry in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, due to the stability of the political relationship between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
Professor Xu went on to comment, "We should expedite the adjustment of the geographical distribution of domestic steel bases without increasing the overall production capacity, with particular emphasis on relocation to the coastal areas."