China will increase its imports of liquefied natural gas to relieve the current gas shortage, Xinhua news agency reported on Feb 7, citing Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration.

Large parts of China are suffering shortages of coal, gas and electricity due to usual cold winter. In early January, the country stepped up rationing of electricity and natural gas, and on Jan. 15 vice-premier Li Keqiang called on domestic coal and gas producers to increase output and for higher coal and gas imports.

China will also build more LNG terminals, pipelines and storage facilities in coastal areas to facilitate imports, Xinhua cited Zhang as saying.

China is also currently diversifying the sources of its imported natural gas, adding countries such as Malaysia, Qatar, and Papua New Guinea to traditional suppliers such as Indonesia and Australia, Xinhua quoted Zhang as saying.