BEIJING, March 24 -- China's natural gas output registered rapid growth in the first two months of this year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

The country produced 41.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the January-February period, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier.

China's natural gas imports posted fast growth during the period, NBS data showed.

A total of 22.1 million tonnes of natural gas was imported in the first two months, up 23.6 percent year on year, according to the bureau.