China's safety watchdog said on February 19 that it will suspend or shut down operations in more than 5,000 non-coal mines that do not meet safety standards in 2013.

The government will take steps to reduce the death toll of accidents in non-coal mines below 900 this year, according to a statement released by the State Administration of Work Safety.

The administration said that it will order mines to enhance safety measures, improve their emergency response mechanisms and build monitoring systems.

China's hundreds of thousands of non-coal mines, most of which are operated at a small scale with poor safety conditions, are major targets of work safety campaigns.