South China's Guangdong Province will purchase more than 20
million tons of coal from around the world in 2007, a new record
double last year's total, Xinhua news agency reports.
Guangdong's coal imports will continue to grow in the coming
years as the province continues its rapid development, said Yang
Jianchu, an official from Guangdong Provincial Economic
Commission.
"Relevant departments and companies of Guangdong are now busy
negotiating with their foreign counterparts to import more coal in
the near future," he added.
Guangdong, one of the country's economic powerhouses, is the
largest coal consumer on the Chinese mainland.
Last year alone, the region consumed more than 100 million tons
of coal, roughly 8 percent of the country's total. All Guangdong's
coal was purchased outside the province, much of it from
abroad.
(China Daily April 27, 2007)