Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying that 2,652 mines would be closed by the end of this year and an additional 2,209 mines would be shut down in 2007.

Despite the government's efforts to crack down on small, unsafe coal mines, there are still 17,000 of them across the country, accounting for one-third of China's coal production but two-thirds of deaths in the industry, Xinhua said.

The Chinese government aims to cut the number of small mines to less than 10,000 in the next few years, it said.

Chinese coal mines have already reported 2,900 deaths in the first eight months of this year, according to the latest official figures quoted by Xinhua.

Previous attempts to shut down unsafe mines have met with mixed success.

Nearly 60 percent of the 5,001 mines ordered to shut down last year are still operating, the government admitted in January.

One reason is that many local officials have business interests in the coal industry. Officials in charge of overseeing safety or closing the mines often have stakes in those mines, the government has said.

China's coal mines are regarded as the world's most dangerous with nearly 6,000 workers dying in the industry last year, according to official figures.

Labor rights groups, such as the Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin, say the real number of mining deaths could be as high as 20,000 each year.

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