The Conference on South African Coal Mining Safety Technology and Equipment was held in Beijing yesterday to give Chinese coal mine production personnel an opportunity to learn from their South African counterparts.

"Our mining safety technology and equipment have been sold to countries such as the US and Australia. We hope that our cooperation with China can help improve the working conditions of Chinese coal mine workers," said Mthokozisi Zondi, deputy chief inspector of mines of South Africa's Department of Minerals and Energy.

At the conference, experts in the coal mining industry from South Africa showcased their technology and equipment in mining safety and shared their expertise and experience in coal mine management.

In the days of apartheid, black miners in South Africa lived and worked in dangerous conditions, but Wang Shuhe, deputy director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety (SACMS), said the mining safety is now well developed there, so China could learn much from it.

According to Gu Tao, senior engineer at the SACMS' Communication and Information Center, cooperation between China and South Africa in the coal mine industry has a long history, and China has bought over 40 sets of mining communication equipment from there so far.

According to Kuang Mahua, deputy division chief of the Department of Regulations and Liaison, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, trade of technology has become the main technology communication mode between China and other countries.

"China's coal mine safety improvement efforts have provided a big market for the world. This conference is only a start. We will hold more such communications between China and countries advanced in coal mine safety technology and management experience such as Australia in the future," he said.

Coal is the major energy resource in China, covering 67 percent in the country's consumption structure of all primary energy resources. From January to September this year, the total number of coal mine accident was 2,337, with 4,228 people dead. To October 10, there were 43 major accidents this year involving more than 10 deaths at one time.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2005)