From xinhua, via China Daily:
China will shut down additional 7,000 small coal mines to bring their total number below 10,000 before 2008, a senior official with the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) said on Thursday.
Li Yizhong, the chief of SAWS, said at a conference on coal mine safety that the number of small coal mines has been reduced from 23,000 to 17,000. The number is due to dip below 10,000.
Li told local government officials to confirm the number and names of small coal mines to be shut down before the end of June. [Full text]
see also China to recruit 100,000 coal mine safety supervisors by Xinhua
