BEIJING, June 17 -- China's production of natural gas has maintained steady expansion in the first five months of 2024, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday.

The country produced 103.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the January-May period, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier.

China's natural gas imports also posted fast growth during this period, NBS data showed. A total of 54.28 million tonnes of natural gas was imported in the first five months of 2024, up 17.4 percent year on year.

In May alone, the natural gas output expanded 6.3 percent year on year to 20.3 billion cubic meters, according to the bureau.