China coal prices held near record highs on Thursday as cold weather swept into the country's north and power plants stocked up on the fuel to ease its power crunch.

The producer price index (PPI), which measures the cost of goods at the factory gate, rose 10.7% on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Shares of Chinese real estate firms slip as investors worry about the debt crisis that has hit the property sector, including China Evergrande Group, following fresh rating downgrades.

As default looms for ailing property giant China Evergrande, its bond investors abroad are looking at what legal options they have to safeguard their cash

Under the plan, the National Anti-Monopoly Bureau would be elevated to deputy-ministerial level, while remaining within SAMR, to help M&A investigators gain resources

Latest increase follows government U-turn introduced to boost power generation; floods in mining regions deepen difficulties in extracting coal.

Chinese billionaire has kept a low profile since giving a speech in Shanghai last year criticising financial regulators. Ant was forced to drop its IPO and has undergone a major rejig.

Local developers' shares and bonds fell further on Wednesday after Evergrande missed a third round of interest payments on dollar bonds in three weeks

China has the ability to address the Evergrande crisis, although there is a risk of the developer's pain escalating to cause broader financial stress, the Fund says

Bondholders said Evergrande hadn’t stumped up $150 million for a coupon payment due Monday, its third missed payment in as many weeks

Car sales fell 19.6% in September from 2020, amid supply and power constraints, but sales of new energy vehicles were strong, industry officials said.

All industrial and commercial users will have to buy directly from the market or agents over the grid – just 44% do this now – in a move aimed at stopping high energy consumption