Coal Demands Finally Met

China's coal market will maintain a basic balance in supply and demand this year. Experts predict that the power industry will consume an additional 60-70 million tons of coal; metallurgical industry, 30 million tons; and domestic market, 1.6 billion tons in 2004.

China's coal output is expected to go up by 110 million tons over 2003 to reach 1.66 billion tons in 2004. The 2003 coal output was a record 1.55 billion tons, 160 million tons more than in 2002.

By the end of May 2003, China had 25,000 township-run coalmines with an annual supply capacity of 500 million tons, accounting for one third of the country's total.