As the world's largest iron ore buyer, China should have more say in the global iron ore trade, Industry and Information Technology Minister Li Yizhong said on Thursday.

"Spot prices of iron ore are increasing sharply on the global market and we hope to see an appropriate relationship between spot prices and long-term contract prices," Li said at a press conference.

He said he hoped the world's major iron ore suppliers would consider both their own long-term interests and their long-term cooperation with China's steel industry.

According to customs statistics, China imported 355.3 million tonnes of iron ore in the first seven months this year, an increase of 31.8 percent from a year earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2009)