China vows to further cut outdated coal, steel capacity

BEIJING -- China will continue to reduce its outdated production capacity of coal and steel this year, the country's top economic planner said Thursday.

The country will push supply-side structural reform in the steel sector, accelerate the cuts in overcapacity and encourage the green and innovative development of the sector, the National Development and Reform Commission said in an online statement.

Coal mines that do not meet the country's safety and environmental standards should be cleaned up, while inefficient production capacity will also be cut, the statement said.

The total number of coal mines should be reduced to no more than 5,000, while production by large-scale coal mines should account for some 96 percent of the country's total output, the NDRC said in a separate statement.

China aims to improve its energy structure to make it greener and more efficient. Information technologies are encouraged to be used in coal mines to further enhance safety and efficiency, the commission said.