China targets modern coal industry system by 2030

China will fundamentally establish a modern coal industrial system by 2030, pushing the coal industry's high-quality development to a new level, according to a development plan of the coal industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period released on Monday.

Jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, the plan noted that China aims to further strengthen coal's role as a baseline guarantor for energy security by 2030, increase the share of high-quality and advanced production capacity, and raise the proportion of national output from large modern coal mines to 87 percent.

The plan also calls for boosting the share of capacity from intelligent coal mines to 75 percent. By then, China will fundamentally establish a modern coal industrial system, the plan said.

To achieve these targets, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will optimize the geographical layout of coal extraction, continue advancing the building of secured coal supply bases in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Xinjiang, consolidate and optimize a tiered development pattern across eastern, central and western regions, and improve the cross-regional coal transportation network.

At the same time, the plan also demands accelerating the optimization and upgrading of the coal industrial structure, raising entry standards for resource development, expanding high-quality advanced capacity, and the phased exit of outdated and inefficient capacity.

"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will better coordinate development and security, accelerate the iterative upgrading of smart coal mines, implement key projects that integrate coal with new energy, push for coal consumption to smoothly reach its peak and ensure that coal continues to play its crucial role as a reliable baseline guarantor and system regulator within China's new energy framework," said Liu Tao, director of the coal department at the National Energy Administration.

In addition, the plan also includes a development and utilization program for coalbed methane. By 2030, China aims to reach an annual coalbed methane production of 26 billion cubic meters, with gas utilization volume hitting 6.5 billion cubic meters.

China targets modern coal industry system by 2030

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported over 6,700 confirmed Ebola cases, with a severe hunger crisis in the country compounding difficulties in outbreak response, health authorities and aid agencies warned on Wednesday.

According to data released Wednesday by the DRC's National Institute of Public Health, the current Ebola outbreak has claimed 3,267 lives out of the 6,757 confirmed cases, resulting in a fatality rate of about 48.3 percent.

In the past 24 hours alone, 71 new cases and 41 deaths were reported. A total of 27 patients recovered from their illness, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 1,590.

The outbreak has now spread to 61 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo. Ituri Province remains the epicenter of the crisis, accounting for roughly 80 percent of all confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday that a severe hunger crisis in eastern DRC is exacerbating the challenges of containing the disease.

David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC, highlighted the dire situation in Ituri Province, where more than half a million people are currently facing severe food insecurity.

"That's one notch short of mortality from starvation," he said.

Stevenson emphasized that hunger undermines people's willingness and ability to adhere to health protocols. He also warned that many Ebola patients, particularly those in remote areas, lose their chance of survival simply because they are too far away from lifesaving treatment centers.

The WFP urges the international community to increase financial support, build more treatment centers, and deliver food assistance to remote areas.

The U.N. agency calls for a comprehensive approach that integrates food assistance with medical services and community-based prevention efforts to effectively contain the outbreak.

Confirmed Ebola cases top 6,700 in DR Congo as severe hunger hampers outbreak response