China has directed state-owned power plants to purchase domestic coal

Keeping on top of the Australia - China trade tensions might become a full-time pursuit!

Earlier:

• China's consul-general 'sudden departure' from Australia

Also, this in the local press, citing analysts and industry insiders :

• Chinese government has begun warning state-owned power utilities not to buy new cargoes of Australian thermal coal
• to purchase domestic coal instead
• "Either in that meeting or after that meeting, apparently five major state-owned utilities are said to have been directed to stop buying new cargoes of Australian thermal coal," Wood Mackenzie's Asia-Pacific head of coal Rory Simington said.

Coal is Australia's second top commodity export (behind iron ore)