East China province to expand copper production
( 2002-02-20 11:56 ) (8 )

Jiangxi Province in east China will give priority this year to the production, development, deep processing of copper, rare earth, tantalum, niobium and organosilicon, based on its rich resources.

Huang Zhiquan, governor of Jiangxi, said the province will speed up the construction of the expansion project of the Guixi Smelting Plant this year. The plant will have an annual capacity of 400,000 tons of copper and 150,000 copper products.

With the completion of the expansion project next year, the province is expected to become the world's sixth biggest copper producer.

Jiangxi will found Southern China Rare Earth Group Co. (Jiangxi) later this year, and cooperate with other parts of the country in exploiting its resources of tantalum, niobium and organosilicon, the official said.