Shanxi province will issue 17 new rules coordinating coal industry development
and safety, including a complete ban on concealed working faces. Mines found to
have hidden extraction points or falsified 'yin‑yang' mine plans will be ordered
to suspend production for rectification and remove personnel and equipment from
concealed underground sites; refusal to comply may trigger shutdowns, license
revocations or permanent shaft sealing. Where conduct by legal representatives,
actual controllers, responsible persons, ultimate beneficiaries,
behind‑the‑scenes operators, mine managers or outsourced team leaders amounts to
a crime, cases will be referred to judicial authorities. The rules require
strict implementation of the 'three controls, three musts' and coal-mine safety
responsibility lists and strengthen full‑chain safety supervision, enhancing the
provincial emergency management department's oversight role. The Shanxi
development and reform commission will review and approve mine-area master
plans; the provincial development and reform commission and provincial energy
bureau will approve coal development projects within their respective
authorities.
