Natural gas output maintains steady rise

China's production of natural gas maintained steady expansion in the first half, said the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. The country produced 130.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the January-June period, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier.

Power company helps lift consumption

Chinese power workers are helping boost the country's consumption boom. The recent sixth round of the Jiangsu provincial football league in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, attracted more than 30,100 fans. They swarmed to bars, snack outlets and other catering businesses, resulting in a surge of power demand. And key scenic spots in the prefecture-level city greeted 1.14 million visitors. State Grid Xuzhou Power Supply Co helped ensure power supply, which exceeded 350 million kilowatt-hours during the short period.