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Caixin

China fires up coal power plant construction

Surge in first-quarter approvals possibly related to COVID-19 outbreak

Beijing is expected to focus on investing in infrastructure like power generation as it tries to restart the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak.   © Reuters

China approved nearly 10 gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation projects in the first quarter, roughly equal to the amount approved for all of last year, amid a broader scramble to jump-start an economy hobbled by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Investment in infrastructure like power generation has played an important part in China's rapid economic rise, especially in times of economic distress like the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. Many expect such spending to play an important role as Beijing tries to restart the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak that has brought activity to a crawl, causing the economy to post its first quarterly contraction since modern record-keeping began.

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