BEIJING, April 21 -- China's natural gas output hit a record high in the first quarter of 2024, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

The country produced 63.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the January-March period, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier.

China's natural gas imports posted fast growth during this period, NBS data also revealed.

A total of 32.79 million tonnes of natural gas was imported in the first three months of the year, up 22.8 percent year on year, according to the bureau.