Why China?

The world's most populated country has also become its most significant consumer of major metals and minerals. However, when we started this special area of our website six years ago, little was known outside China about its mineral-related policies or who implemented them. This was something we quickly tried to remedy. See: http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=43

It soon became clear that Chinese companies were making significant acquisitions overseas; something that raised numerous questions about their - and the regime's - intentions. So, in 2005, we began identifying some of these concerns. See: http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=82

Two years later, in 2007, we followed up with the exclusive posting of a major piece of research, "Extraction to Destruction", which you can access here: http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=8342

As well as posting specifically on mining enterprises, we also report the violation of human rights and environment in Tibet, and conditions for Chinese mineworkers at large . Please use the Search Engine at the top of this page to locate such articles.

In the final resort, it's not for us to dictate how debates should be conducted within China itself, over pollution, community and workers' rights, metals pricing or the "over heating" of the economy.

We believe this is up to Chinese communities, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and individual citizens. Many of these continue bravely asserting their demands, despite repression in many quarters. Such struggles will be regularly reported on this page.