China to raise environmental bar for mining projects: association

XIAMEN (Reuters) - China is expected to issue new guidelines by the end of the year to encourage metals miners to conserve domestic resources and protect the environment, a director at the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said on Tuesday.

Hu Changping, director of heavy metals at the association, said Beijing aims to tighten the requirements on firms allowed to mine metals and will announce the guidelines before the end of this year.

"Copper, lead and zinc mines will be included," Hu told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry conference in Xiamen, in the southeastern province of Fujian.

Authorised firms would be required to submit mining project proposals to the Ministry of Land and Resources and also receive approval from environmental authorities. No other details of the scope of the guidelines were immediately available.

(Reporting by Polly Yam; Editing by Ken Wills)