China Purchases of Australian Coal Up to Firms, Envoy Says (1)

Chinese companies must decide whether to resume imports of Australian coal, China’s ambassador to Australia said, continuing to deny any embargo on the country’s exports, even as he touted a recent thaw in ties.

Ambassador Xiao Qian told a news briefing Tuesday in Canberra that there was “no such thing” as official sanctions on Australian exports. Instead, Xiao said Chinese companies may have hesitated to maintain their existing trade relationships as ties between Beijing and Canberra deteriorated.

“As we improve our relationship, as we develop our relationship, we’ll come back to a normal kind of relationship,” Xiao said.

Australia is ...