Yancoal Australia said it had entered into an executive service agreement with Zhang as a director and chair of its executive committee that would commence on the date he obtains an appropriate work visa that entitles him to work for the company.

Prior to this appointment, Zhang had been a director and secretary of Yanzhou Coal Mining Company since 2006 and deputy general manager of Yanzhou Coal since 2011.

Yancoal is one of Australia’s largest independent coal operators and runs the Austar, Ashton, Donaldson, Duralie, Stratford and Moolarben coal operations in New South Wales, plus the Yarrabee and Cameby Downs mines in Queensland, with the Middlemount operation in Queensland being a partnership with Peabody Energy.

In December last year Treasurer Joe Hockey allowed China’s Yanzhou to maintain its existing 78% stake in Yancoal.

Hockey decided to remove the takeover conditions, which also included a commitment for Yanzhou to reduce its economic interest in the Syntech Resources and Premier coal mines to less than 70% by the end of 2014.