While China's coastal regions have already reached peak levels as regards steel production, most of the global iron ore mining giants now expect the western regions of China to provide a boost for the further growth of their businesses.
At a recent conference held in Beijing, many representatives of international iron ore mining companies predicted that China's western regions such as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region will indicate strong demand for steel products during the process of their urbanization and industrialization.
At the conference, Sam Walsh, head of the iron ore division of Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, said that iron ore demand will continue to maintain strong growth, driven by China.
He stated that, in order to narrow the development gap between the central and western regions on the one hand and the coastal regions on the other, the Chinese government will implement large-scale infrastructure projects, which will certainly boost China's demand for steel products.