Senior executives of leading mining companies and officers of major financial institutions were on hand for a keynote forum on Nov 17, at the China Mining 2010 Congress and Expo, to discuss global mining developments and global market strategies.

Zhou Zhongshu, president of the China Minmetals Corp, one of the nation's major metal ore suppliers, told the gathering he is "cautiously optimistic" about the future of the mining industry "since many factors influence the global economy.

"Mining supports global economic growth. But it harms the earth and the environment. Many mines end up like scars of the planet," Zhou said.