Download or read book The Chinese Coal Industry written by Elspeth Thomson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-09-02 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The coal industry has been and continues to be of critical importance for China's economic modernization. With its huge labour force, country-wide infrastructure, and vital strategic importance for the economy, the industry presents special problems for reformers, and epitomises the problems of reform in the state industrial sector as a whole. This book examines the changes in the structure and operation of the Chinese coal industry from the mid-19th century to the present, concentrating on the years of reform. Although the focus is on the economics of the industry, the book also provides many insights into China's socio-political development.