At a seminar on December 1 attended by coal and electricity companies based in Shanxi Province, Cao Changqing, director of the pricing department at China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said domestic coal companies should keep their coal prices stable, while increasing their outputs and stepping up their safety measures.
Mr. Cao said coal companies should abide by relevant regulations from China's State Council and the NDRC. The contract coal price in 2011 should be kept at the same level as in 2010, he recommended. Coal producers and distributors should not intervene in coal pricing, while speculation activity will not be allowed, he said. The NDRC official also appealed to regional governments to clear obstacles blocking improvements in the coal transaction situation in the domestic market.
Meanwhile, an insider in the coal industry said control of inflation was the most important thing for China next year, and this would help to ensure that coal prices would not increase.