Mr. Julean Arnold, American Commercial Attache at
Peking, writing early in 1919, made the following statement as regards
China's mineral resources:--
China is favoured with a wonderful wealth in coal and in a good
supply of iron ore, two essentials to modern industrial
development. To indicate how little China has developed its
marvellous wealth in coal, this country imported, during 1917,
14,000,000 tons. It is estimated that China produces now
20,000,000 tons annually, but it is supposed to have richer
resources in coal than has the United States which, in 1918,
produced 650,000,000 tons. In iron ore it has been estimated that
China has 400,000,000 tons suitable for furnace reaction, and an
additional 300,000,000 tons which might be worked by native
methods. During 1917, it is estimated that China's production of
pig iron was 500,000 tons. The developments in the iron and steel
industry in China are making rapid strides, and a few years hence
it is expected that the production of pig iron and of finished
steel will be several millions of tons annually.... In antimony
and tin China is also particularly rich, and considerable
progress has taken place in the mining and smelting of these ores
during the past few years. China should jealously safeguard its
mineral wealth, so as to preserve it for the country's
welfare.
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