China is considering investing nearly 18 billion yuan ($2.82 billion) to exploit minerals in eastern Tibet's Qinghai region in the next five years.

This came almost three months after Beijing announced in August plans to intensify mining efforts in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the state-run Xinhua News reported.

"Qinghai aims to earn a revenue of 17.9 billion yuan for excavating coal, iron, gold, potassium salt, copper, lead, zinc and cobalt within five years," the Qinghai Land and Resources Department said in a press release.

However, Tibetans wonder if China this time will commit to exploit the minerals in an environmental more responsible way as well as fulfill its commitment to provide job opportunities for the locals.

Local Tibetans in the U Yuk Sogchen sub-district of Namling Shigatse in took to the streets in May 2010 to voice their complaints after local authorities continually ignored their pleas to stop hazardous gold mining activities in the area because it did not conform to international environmental standards.

"Promises of job creation and raising income levels were made to the local Tibetan residents of Phondo, Lhundrup Zong and many other mining areas but they were turned down during the actual mining period. Mining protests relating to environment negligence and pollution are frequent in Tibetan areas," Tenzin Norbu, head of the Environment and Development Desk of the Central Tibetan Administration, told Phayul News.

"For the past few years, Tibetan villagers have been protesting against the mines and writing letters to the Chinese government asking for their concerns to be addressed," Tsering Woeser, noted Tibetan blogger, said. "But the government never cared."