HOHHOT, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Ordos city in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has replaced Datong city in Shanxi province as the country's largest coal-producing city, with an annual output of 81 million tons last year.

    According to national statistics, coal mines across China produced 1.7 billion tons of coal in 2003, 340 million tons more than in the previous year. However, many thermal power plants in China still lack enough fuel to maintain normal production.

    The second-biggest coal producer is Yulin city, in northwesternShaanxi province, with an annual output of 71 million tons.

    The region covering Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces and Inner Mongolia has proven coal reserves estimated at over 600 billion tons, accounting for 61 percent of the national total coal reserve.The coal is fine in quality and easy to exploit.

    Apart from coal production, Ordos leads the country in the production of cashmere, building materials and bio-pharmaceuticals.Enditem