A CEFC spokesman said he couldn't immediately comment on the matter.

CEFC Europe said late on Monday that the firm's activities in Czech Republic would continue, and a new unnamed Chinese shareholder would join the firm.

Czech news website www.tyden.cz said without naming its sources the new shareholder would be China's state-owned CITIC Group, and that it would take a 49 percent stake in CEFC Europe.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; editing by Richard Pullin)