BEIJING — China's supply of natural gas will be sufficient to meet a spike in demand during the winter heating season, the country's top economic planner said on Nov 17.

The available natural gas reserves for winter heating this year increased by 5 billion cubic meters compared with last year, allowing more flexibility to ensure an adequate supply when demand peaks, said Meng Wei, a spokesperson with the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference.

China saw a 14.6-percent year-on-year increase in its daily average natural-gas consumption in the first 11 days of November, Meng noted, adding that demand for coal was also robust.

To improve air quality, China has been encouraging the use of natural gas and electricity for winter heating, instead of coal.

The commission has taken a variety of initiatives to ensure the gas supply for the northern region, including increasing the production of domestic gas fields on the premise of safety and importing natural gas in an orderly manner, Meng said.