China will close 35,842 firms which did not apply for work safety licenses by the end of 2005, according to the State Administration of Work Safety said?Tuesday.

The companies that are ruled to be closed include 8,053 non-coal underground firms, 2,500 dangerous chemical enterprises, 350 firecracker producers, 24,923 construction companies and 16 civil explosive material firms, according to the safety watchdog.

The first step is to revoke all of their licenses, then their power and material supply will be cut off. The namelist will also be publicized, the safety watchdog said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)