China will shut around 6,000 coal mines in the next two years in a bid to maintain working safety, China Daily reported, citing Zhang Dejiang, vice premier of the State Council of China.

The number of coal mines in China will be reduced from the current 16,000 to less than 10,000 by 2010.

From January to October of this year, death toll in coal mine accidents fell by 13.5% in China compared with that of the same period of last year.

Since 2003, the Chinese government has invested more than RMB 87 billion (US$ 12.4 billion) in technological innovation in the coal industry, Zhang noted.

(China Knowledge, Nov 20, 2008)