Profits at China’s industrial firms jumped 16.3 per cent year on year to 738.74 billion yuan (US$115.7 billion), quickening from the 10.1 per cent gain in August.
Imports of electricity from North Korea increased by 62 per cent in September compared with the same period last year with China in the midst of a nationwide power crunch.
Since Beijing announced plans to liberalise power pricing, Zhejiang and Guangdong have hiked electricity costs and other provinces are looking to make similar changes.
Cargoes of coking, thermal and brown coal imported into China from Indonesia surpassed 21 million tonnes in September, from just over 17 million tonnes in August.