China, US agree to cooperate on mine safety

BEIJING: China, which saw more than 2,400 deaths in colliery accidents last year, on Friday agreed to swap health and safety experiences with the United States in a bid to improve conditions for miners.

The two countries launched a programme that will see Chinese and US experts share best practices on issues such as mine emergency response, ventilation and prevention of the lung disease pneumoconiosis, according to the US embassy.

A Chinese delegation will travel to the United States at the weekend to kick off the programme with a fact-finding mission on mine safety technology, it said.

"Both of our countries have learned a lot in the past years about the importance of ensuring safe working conditions and health for miners," US Ambassador Jon Huntsman said in a statement.

"These lessons have been hard won, often through tragedy. But more work remains to be done to continue preventing major mining accidents and occupational disease," he said.

"The time has come to work together."

China's mines are known for being among the deadliest in the world.
The United States has a far better track record in mine safety, but fatal accidents still occur.(AFP)