China plans to shut down 2,000 coal mines by next year

BEIJING: China plans to shut down over 2,000 small-scale coal mines by next year in an effort to eliminate outdated capacity and improve work safety and address pollution concerns.

Coal mines in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as Chongqing municipality, will be major targets, the State Administration of Work Safety said.

It will gradually weed out coal mines with an annual output at or below 90,000 tonnes, and shut down those that do not meet safety standards, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China's mines are among the deadliest in the world, with fatal accidents occurring frequently due to poor safety regulations and a lack of safety awareness.