Would coal suit a Manchurian battleship?

Could the hypothetical Manchurian battleship be coal-fired?

Yes, and coal is recommended because Manchuria has substantial local deposits.

Coal firing is recommended for the hypothetical Manchurian battleship because Manchuria has substantial coal seams. That makes the fuel choice defensible in the client's own circumstances. It also complicates the challenge to design a bad battleship: a feature that looks inferior to Japanese planners can still be useful to the recipient. Local fuel availability changes how the same propulsion choice is judged.