Reuters (October 7) reported that China’s reliance on imported gas is increasing despite
government efforts to boost domestic output, creating an intensifying problem for both energy
and national security. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, China’s gas
production increased by 6% in the first eight months of 2022 compared with the same period
in 2021. Production has increased at a compound annual rate of 7% over the last ten years,
doubling between 2011 and 2021, as the government encouraged the development of major
fields in Sichuan, Xinjiang and the Ordos Basin. But consumption has grown even faster, at a
compound rate of almost 11% over the same period, as more households have been connected
to the distribution network. It said replacing wood, coal and bottled gas for residential and
commercial heating and cooking has played a key role in reducing urban air pollution and
improving quality of life. Separately, the China Statistical Yearbook disclosed that the
population with access to gas had climbed to 413 million in 2020, up from 286 million in 2015
and 170 million in 2010
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