Premier Wen Jiabao urged China's leading coal producer, the
northern province of Shanxi,
to increase production capacity to ensure a steady coal supply for
the country while "resolutely preventing" the occurrence of any
major accidents such as gas explosions.
Wen was speaking at a Wednesday afternoon panel discussion of
Shanxi lawmakers who are attending the annual session of the
National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.
"Shanxi plays an important role in the country's coal reserves
and output," said Wen, stating that the province should expand
exploration for resources, speed the construction of large mining
centers and further tap the production capacity of existing
mines.
Wen said that the province must ensure a safe and steady coal
supply that can meet the needs of the country's economic
development.
At the same time, he stressed that "nothing is more precious
than human lives" and that "top priority must be given to
production safety at the coal mines."
He called for more investment in safety upgrades and stricter
implementation of the "safety responsibility system." At present,
he said, the primary focus should be the problem of coal bed gas,
the top killer in China's mining accidents.
"We must take more effective measures and resolutely prevent the
occurrence of any major gas-related accidents," said Wen.
Coal accounts for 67 percent of China's primary energy
consumption. In an effort to meet demand, coal production was
pushed up by 200 million tons a year from 2001 to 2004.
In 2004, Shanxi's proven coal reserves were 272.5 billion tons,
accounting for about one-third of the nation's total, and total
production was about 493 million tons, 25.2 percent of the 2.0
billion tons produced nationwide. Its total coal reserves are
estimated to be 871.0 billion tons.
China's coal industry has been plagued by an increasing number
of accidents. The State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS)
recently reported that of the 2.0 billion tons of coal produced
last year, only 1.2 billion tons were produced under conditions
that met prescribed national safety standards.
The official nationwide death toll in the coal mine industry was
6,027 in 2004, 150 below the official maximum target for the year.
Guizhou
Province topped the provincial figures with 894 deaths. Shanxi
was in fourth place with 485.
(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn March 10, 2005)