China builds over 5,500 green mines, advances sustainable mining

China has established more than 5,500 green mines at or above the provincial level, marking positive progress in the country's green mining development, an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday ahead of this year's World Earth Day.

According to Dong Qingji, deputy director general of the Ministry of Natural Resources' department of mineral resources protection and supervision, green mining requirements have been written into the Mineral Resources Law and the Ecological Environment Code, providing strong legal backing. A working system featuring government guidance, departmental coordination, enterprise leadership and public supervision is now largely in place.

China is accelerating the construction of green mines and will organize the selection of a new batch of national-level green mines. Currently, there are over 1,000 national-level green mines and more than 4,500 provincial-level green mines in the country.

Looking ahead, the ministry will continue to promote the construction and operation of all newly built mines in accordance with green mine standards, while speeding up the green transformation and upgrading of existing operating mines. For mines that have not yet initiated green transition, they are required to launch green mine construction as soon as possible, fulfill their obligations for ecological restoration in mining areas, and strengthen ecological restoration and governance in these areas.

China builds over 5,500 green mines, advances sustainable mining

The Chinese Embassy in the United States hosted a celebration on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. to mark the 2026 United Nations Chinese Language Day, which fell on Monday.

The event attracted about 500 attendees, including teenagers interested in Chinese culture and friends from all walks of life.

Speaking at the event, Minister Qiu Wenxing of the Chinese Embassy in the United States said that Chinese is one of the fastest-growing foreign languages among college students in the U.S., with nearly 400 primary and secondary schools in 31 states offering Chinese courses and more and more American friends joining the ranks of Chinese learners.

He noted that the essence of the Chinese language lies in harmonious coexistence. At present, China-U.S. relations are facing challenges, which calls for even greater need to draw wisdom from the way of harmony and cooperation.

At the event, a touring troupe composed of teachers and students from four universities in central China's Henan Province presented performances such as folk music, martial arts, and Henan opera.

Chinese Language Day, established by the United Nations in 2010, is celebrated annually on Guyu, or Grain Rain, the sixth of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, to highlight the global significance of the language.

UN Chinese Language Day celebrated in Washington D.C.