BHP Billiton, the world's biggest mining company, said that China will conitnue
to drive global demand for commodities, as it reported its first half profit of
US$6.17 billion, AFP reported. CEO Chip Goodyear, who announced this week this will be his last year at the company, said he was optimistic about the developing economies of China and India as, "There are billions of people who are looking to improve the quality of life and that is certainly not going to happen without resources." Goodyear also said that despite the expansion
of China's
domestic production base, imports of commodities will continue to play a
crucial role in supporting the country's industrialization.