China's National Plan for Mineral Resources is pending for approval by the State Council, China's cabinet, according to Shanghai Securities Daily.

    The plan, formulated by the Ministry of Land and Resources, covers 32 topics including planning, supply and demand, exploration andutilization, as well as strategic reserve of mineral resources.

    The plan proposes enhancing macro-regulation on the exploration and utilization of mineral resources and specifies areas to be restricted and encouraged in prospecting and utilization so as to improve the sustainability of mineral resources.

    The plan discusses setting up strategic reserves for mineral resources such as petroleum, coal and major nonferrous metal.   It is learned that the strategic reserve for special coal types, especiallycoke, may be launched first.

    As for the much-debated strategic reserve for coal, Li Chaolin, senior expert with China Coal Transportation & Sale Society, stands on the opposite side.

    He said the relatively tight supply of coal is mainly caused by transportation bottlenecks. Coal, especially anthracite coal, is not suitable for long-term storage.

    Coking coal, a rare resource unevenly distributed in China, accounts for only 10 percent of the country's total coal reserve, and prime coking coal only takes up 4-6 percent. It is necessary to set up strategic reserve for coke in light of its rarity, reck ons Li.