China's production of coal shrank by 11 percent last month after small coal mines suspended work during the Chinese New Year holidays.

Output dropped to 158.1 million tons from 177.63 million tons a year earlier, the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association said in a statement yesterday. The association's figures include those from small coal mines, while the official National Bureau of Statistics only takes into account large mines.

(Shanghai Daily February 18, 2009)