China update
Published by MAC on 2006-01-19
China update
19th January 2006
China opens a new coal mine every week and is planning to increase the capacity of its largest coal mines to meet 60% of the country's pretended needs. It's one of the reasons why the European Union is worried that its plan to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, won't be met.
But there's still little sign that the thousands of illegal small coal mines are being closed. Last week a Chinese journalist was murdered for daring to investigate conditions at one such mine.
Not only is the regime planning to increase mineral prospecting across China, it's also announced it will "speed up" mining in "deep ocean areas".
Meanwhile a Hong Kong-based company has announced that it will open a nickel mine in Burma, along with a mainland-registered partner.