From ChinaDialogue.org:
Fears over safety and pollution have led to plans for a shake-up of manganese mining in southwest China, sparking complaints from the industry. Yu Hua reports from Chongqing.
The Chinese government issued a statement in January calling for the consolidation of the country’s mining sector. The joint proposal was put forward by China’s Ministry of Land and Resources and the National Development and Reform Commission, and says that by the end of 2008 each mining area should only receive a single mining permit.
This new restriction will force mining enterprises to merge and to reorganise their assets. But the government is now facing strong resistance from China’s manganese-mining sector. [Full Text]
