China had closed down 30,500 coal mines and reduced the output by 202.18 million tons by the end of October this year, according to the State Administration of Coal Industry.

A total of 31,000 coal mines will be shut down this year, bringing down the country's coal output by 250 million tons, said an administration official.

In the first ten months this year, China produced 829.06 million tons of coal, a drop of 113.87 million tons, or 12 percent, from the same period last year.

However, demand has also been descending. In the past 22 months, China saw a decrease of 180 million tons in the demand for coal, said the official, adding that there are 170 million tons of coal in stockpile at present.

The administration will do everything possible to fulfill the task of producing no more than 900 million tons of coal for next year, said the official.

China has been closing down small coal mines and those that cause waste of resources and serious pollution while producing low quality coal with outdated technology. (Xinhua)