BEIJING, Jan. 20 -- China's natural gas output registered stable growth in 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

The country produced 229.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier.

A total of 119.97 million tonnes of natural gas was imported in 2023, up 9.9 percent year on year, according to the bureau.

In December alone, the country imported 12.65 million tonnes of natural gas, increasing by 23 percent year on year. The growth rate was 16.4 percentage points higher than that of November, said the bureau.