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Bloomberg
Chinese bureaucrats studying the energy outlook are proposing to end a near two-year ban on Australian coal as tensions begin to ease and on concerns supply may tighten when Western-led sanctions on Russian energy kick in.
The proposal will be submitted to senior leaders, with a recommendation Beijing should resume Australian imports. That’s been prompted by fears European-led curbs on Russian energy will increase competition for coal from China’s main suppliers such as Indonesia.
Officials are looking to boost fuel supplies to avoid a repeat of last year’s power disruptions — particularly ahead of a key party congress. The plan will be handed to leaders who are in a position to authorise any change in policy to make a final decision, the people said.
Though it remains uncertain whether a decision will ultimately be made to lift the ban, some companies are already preparing to resume imports, according to two other people.