Mongolia - King Coal

Mongolia may be remote but it does now happen to be right next door to an increasingly energy hungry China. For a country with large reserves of coal, copper, gold and oil that could mean future prosperity as, for example, China depends on coal for nearly two thirds of it's power.

As new deals are made to increase supply, more from the BBC.., you have to hope China is not exporting it's safety standards or environmental techniques still more from the BBC...

With local authorities willing to turn a blind eye to profitable but unsafe mines in China will Mongolia's mines be any different ?. Some labour organisations are already worried by the extent of unofficial mining in Mongolia where a series of severe winters have driven many, traditionally nomadic, herders to look for other work to survive more from the International Labour Organisation