China will let as many as 14 large state-owned coal mines go bankrupt this year and 400,000 miners lose their jobs as part of a plan to reduce financial losses at coal mines and curb pollution caused by coal. China also has plans to shut down 25,800 small coal mines and reduce overall coal output by 250 million tons this year. China is the world’s leading coal producer and depends on coal for 75 percent of its energy needs, but next year the government plans to begin a new policy to promote natural gas by offering incentives and eliminating rigid controls on pricing.
