China tells mines to produce 'as much coal as possible'

The Chinese government has ordered the country's coal mines to "produce as much coal as possible" as it tries to increase production as winter approaches, and ease an ongoing energy crunch.

The announcement from China's National Development and Reform Commission comes after weeks of power shortages across many provinces, forcing the government to ration electricity during peak hours and some factories to suspend production. The problem has weighed on economic growth as industrial output drops.