A rebound in gold prices has pushed shares of Chinese producers of the precious metal near record highs, while the bullion’s status as a strategic investment remains intact amid global central bank buying and financial stress in the world’s key economies. Shares of Zijin Mining Group and Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining Group, the nation’s biggest metal producers, have risen at least 40 per cent from July lows in Shanghai, approaching all-time highs set earlier this year. A gauge of mainland-listed...