CHINA, the world's biggest producer and consumer of coal, said the nation's strongest earthquake in 58 years "affected" less than 1 percent of its mining capacity.

A total of 199 coal mines in the southwestern province of Sichuan were affected by the quake as of 6pm on Wednesday, the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic planner, said in a statement on its Website yesterday. The mines have a total annual capacity of 14.5 million tons, it said. That compares with 2.3 billion tons China produced last year.