Sustainable exploitation and utilization of natural resources is the key to the sustainable development of mining cities.It is also a general problem for all kinds of mining cities to resolve.Three typical mining cities in the eastern,central and western parts of China are taken as a case,including Dongying,Jiaozuo and Karamy.From their experience on exploiting and utilizing natural resources(mining resources and other natural resources),five problems during the exploitation and utilization of natural resources in all mining cities are summarized:(1)mining cities are all threatened by the exhausted mining resources;(2)eco-environmental problems are more serious and need more attention;(3)mining resources and other natural resources requires effective combination;(4)mining resources and other natural resources need competing in exploitation and utilization according to the game theory;and(5)all kinds of natural resources should be exploited and utilized synthetically and the relationship between natural resources and social resources should be harmonized.According to these problems,the strategic thoughts on the sustainable exploitation and utilization of natural resources for mining cities in China are presented,and seven kinds of rational patterns are introduced:(1)economize to avoid running short;(2)black to green;(3)combining preponderant resources;(4)extending preponderant industrial chains;(5)amalgamation of local and state-owned enterprises;(6)two main driving forces from state-owned and private enterprises and(7)two important parts of public-owned and private economic system.