Mining firms present sleek face to global sector

The mining industry is "going global" at a faster pace by specializing in areas such as oil and gas development and mineral extraction, Land and Resources Vice-Minister Wang Min said yesterday.

"Overseas operators from the mining industry are gradually shifting from oil to metals, from mining to exploration and from State-owned enterprises to companies with complex ownership structures," he said.

Wang was speaking at the China Mining 2007 forum in Beijing.