On July 23, Qi Xiangdong, vice secretary general of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), said that he had not heard anything about the rumor that an agreement would be reached within 10 days in the ongoing 2009 iron ore talks between the Chinese side and the overseas mining giants.
The denial follows reports by some sections of the local media that an official of a certain large-scale Chinese steel mill stated in Beijing on July 23 that China may reach an agreement with the three main ore suppliers within 10 days.
In order to counteract speculation, the CISA previously stated that the Chinese side will speak with one voice on the issue and will publish the result at the earliest possible time. Brazilian miner Vale also lately stated that they had not yet reached any agreement with China in the iron ore talks but, once the talks are completed, will publish the result on their website as soon as possible.