The United Nations Development Program will launch a four-year program in China to improve the safety of the country's coal miners.

"China needs more international cooperation on work safety," said Peng Jianxun, of the State Administration of Work Safety, at the inauguration of the program in March.

The four-year program, with a total investment of US$14.42 million, aims to improve laws, regulations, standards and management in coal mine work safety. Under the program, more than 1,000 miners and their families will receive safety training.

"Work safety is improving, though it still lags far behind the central government's requirement and public expectations as well as international levels," said Peng.

China's death rate per one million tons of coal was seven times that of India and Russia, and 70 times that of the United States, said Khalid Malik, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in China. The program would bring the most advanced international experience in coal mine work safety and help China improve safety work, especially at township level, he said.

Coal mine accidents killed 357 people in China in the first two months of this year, according to SAWS.