Illegal mining firms focus of campaign

More than 46,000 mining firms classified as being unsafe or heavy polluters have been closed down over the past two years, land and resources minister Xu Shaoshi said at a conference in Beijing yesterday.

Of the total, which represents about a third of all mining companies outside the gas and oil sector, more than 18,000 were closed for operating in designated non-exploitation areas, environment authorities said at the same meeting.