BEIJING, June 9 -- China's natural gas consumption saw strong growth in the first four months of 2024, with the country intensifying its green development efforts, official data showed.

The apparent consumption of natural gas in this period totaled 143.73 billion cubic meters, up 11.9 percent year on year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

In April alone, consumption rose by 11.8 percent compared with the same period last year to total 35.46 billion cubic meters, said the commission.

The country produced 83 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the January-April period, an increase of 5 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China also imported 43 million tonnes of natural gas in the same period, up 20.7 percent year on year, said the bureau.