The Shaanxi provincial government has called for companies to reduce overcapacity by the endof this year.

China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd. and China Coal Energy Co., Ltd., the nation's leading coal producers, on Tuesday dismissed reports of a merger.

The nation will launch a five-year action plan to make the industrial use of coal cleaner and more efficient amid a renewed debate on air

China's top economic planning body said on Jan 14th that cities of Beijing and Tianjin as well as Hebei province in North China must slash coal consumption to reduce air pollution.

The government said on Monday that it had merged Beijing Energy Investment Holding Co and Jingmei Group into a new 200 billion yuan ($32 billion)

Nonperforming loan ratios have surged in regions that rely heavily on coal, whose prices are sinking as the economy slows, according to media reports and industry sources.

China has closed 200 illegal coal mines this year to protect the eco-system of the northwestern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The new resource tax on coal has been deemed a crucial push for reforming the industry, presenting an opportunity for a better local taxation system.