"Iron ore is now caught between two opposing policies in China," Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note.

Copper held in warehouses tracked by the Shanghai Futures Exchange surged 28% last week and have more than quadrupled this year.

China’s top planning agency approved three different billion-dollar coal mine projects on Monday.

Beijing wants all purchases of the steelmaking material conducted through a single state-backed platform that’s under preparation, according to Bloomberg sources.

Chinese market participants were surprised that prices continued to rise rapidly after the recent Lunar New Year holidays.

China's state planner will take steps to stabilise the commodity market and hasten construction of new infrastructure, it said on Friday.

Balancing reliance on China’s technology providers with local interests is now a key political as well as environmental challenge, says Wood Mackenzie.

If an average price of $130 a tonne is assumed for the first half of 2022, it implies that BHP is making $50 a tonne more than what Beijing might deem reasonable, writes Clyde Russell.