The Chinese Government will close hundreds of small mines over the rest of the year in order to improve the industry's safety.

"We should use the opportunity afforded by excess coal supplies to intensify our crackdown on small coal mines and eliminate outdated mines," said Yang Dongliang, head of the State Administration of Work Safety.

Chinese demand for coal, which fuels three-quarters of the nation's power plants, has slowed with the cooling of the economy.

At least 625 small coal pits will be sealed off, Yang said during a national work safety video conference.

He specified Hunan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces as places where many small mines will be closed, asking local authorities to prioritize their closure.

He called for efforts to actively promote the merging and integration of coal producers to improve efficiency.

Scientific management should be implemented in coal-producing enterprises and production structures should be improved, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2012)