China’s reliance on imported gas is increasing despite government efforts to boost domestic output, creating an intensifying problem for both energy and national security. China’s gas production increased by 6% in the first eight months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (“Output of energy products”, NBS, Sept. 16). Production has increased at a compound annual rate of 7% over the last ten years, doubling between 2011 and 2021, as the government encouraged the development of major fields in Sichuan, Xinjiang and the Ordos Basin. But consumption has grown even faster, at a compound rate of almost 11% over the same period, as more households have been connected to […]