For many troubled mines, there is no silver lining

Calls that I made recently to three contacts in the coal trading business in Shanxi province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region went unanswered.

Vital Materials to set up R&D unit in France

Vital Materials Co, one of the world's largest rare metal materials producers, intends to set up a research and development laboratory in France with its Belgian partner.

Repo market opens to short-term foreign loans

China has opened a market for short-term loans to foreign banks, giving them access to cheaper yuan funding as policymakers encourage greater global use of the currency.

Geely takes Volvo sedans to US

The first batch of China-made Volvo S60 Inscription sedans will go on sale at dealerships in the United States in two months, marking the formal debut of luxury cars made in China in overseas markets.

Curbs on car-hailing may be lifted

The authorities will gradually ease restrictions on car-hailing providers as these services, such as chauffeur and ride sharing, can play a crucial role in solving the traffic woes in most cities, a top executive of the country's biggest car-hailing company said on Wednesday.

Research base to focus on villages from ancient era

A new research facility has opened in one of China's oldest traditional villages, Nanshe in the city of Dongguan, Guandong province, to focus on renovating then preserving some of the country's most important heritage sites.

PepsiCo offers solutions to drinks industry

PepsiCo, the United States food and beverage giant, says it is adopting strict measures to maintain sustainable production in China to ensure it is well prepared for any potential resources shortages in future.

Restaurants raise funds for Nepal

Huge support for quake-stricken country after the public flock to charity events

Harnessing tech for better transport

In this "information age", where instant messaging and the use of sophisticated software to manage data is becoming increasingly important, it is hard to imagine an industry worth 5.4 trillion yuan ($871 billion) using e-mails to communicate and relying on Excel spreadsheets to store information.

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Shell bolsters business with new Shanghai center

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the global energy company, has opened a new commercial hub in Shanghai on Wednesday, which it said will better serve its downstream business customers in China.

Yuan to be used for Sino-Russia oil trade

Agreement could spur the internationalization of the Chinese currency, according to experts