China Suspends Coal Mines for Congress, Boosting Prices
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China, the world’s biggest producer and user of coal, is suspending operations at smaller mines in a bid to improve safety before the nation’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition this month.
Ahead of the 18th Party Congress, which begins Nov. 8 in Beijing and runs for at least a week, the State Administration of Work Safety has sent inspectors to mines to “spot hazards” and accelerate shutdowns over the next month, it said in an Oct. 24 statement on its website. The congress is where China’s next generation of leaders will be formally anointed.