Introduction

A remarkable industrial renaissance is underway in the People's Republic of China (PRC). All indications are that this industrial progress will continue and possibly accelerate. The long history of mining and metallurgy in China and its extensive resources have been significant factors in bringing the PRC prominence not only in industrialization but also in world affairs. Development of the rich mineral resources, a matter of top priority since the establishment of the PRC, has been basic toward achieving the twin and interrelated objectives of furthering agriculture and advancing industry. The PRC inherited only the beginnings of a strong coal industry, a relatively small steel industry ravaged of key equipment, a handful of basic industries left by the Japanese, some Chinese-built industries of old vintage, and a Western myth that the large land masses of China had little oil. China is one of the world's rich mineral areas fully capable of supporting a modern first-rank industrial economy.