1.   The government has acknowledged a serious problem and vowed to step up inspections and to close down unsafe mines.

2.   Vittorio Mattiussi, an Italian consulate official in Belgium after the war, still cannot forgive the deal that sent so many Italian peasants down unsafe Belgian mines.

3.   Beijing has promised to deal harshly with operators of unsafe mines and those who try to cover up accidents.

4.   Small unsafe mines continue to operate despite official efforts to close them down, and small mines that were shut have reopened, the newspaper added.

5.   The government periodically shuts down unsafe mines.

6.   The government, which has taken more notice of mining casualties in recent months, has ordered unsafe mines shut to stem the thousands of mine deaths each year.

7.   The government, which has taken more notice of mining casualties in recent months, has ordered unsafe mines shut to reduce the thousands of mine deaths each year.

8.   Xinhua said several officials were under investigation for issuing licenses to unsafe mines or falsifying safety information, underscoring the problem of corruption in mine supervision.

9.   Yet unsafe mines often continue to operate under the protection of local officials.

10.   Authorities have waged a series of high-profile campaigns to close unsafe mines and thousands of such mines are shut every year.