BEIJING-China’s natural gas output registered stable growth in August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. The country produced 18.1 billion cubic metres of natural gas last month, up 6.3 percent from a year earlier. The country imported 10.86 million tonnes of natural gas last month, up 22.7 percent year on year. The growth rate was 3.8 percentage points higher than that of July, according to the bureau. From January to August, China’s natural gas output rose 5.7 percent year on year to 152.1 billion cubic metres.
CHINA’S FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS SEE ASSETS INCREASE IN Q2
China’s financial institutions saw expanded balance sheets by the end of the second quarter (Q2) of 2023, according to official data. The country’s financial institutions saw their combined assets increase 10.3 percent year on year to 449.21 trillion yuan (about 62.58 trillion US dollars) by the end of Q2, while their combined liabilities rose 10.6 percent from a year earlier to 410.48 trillion yuan, data from the People’s Bank of China showed. Banking institutions— accounting for the largest portion of the financial industry— reported a 10.5 percent rise in total assets, while entities in the securities industry saw their combined assets expand by 5 percent year on year. Assets of the country’s insurers totaled 29.2 trillion yuan, up 9.6 percent year on year, the data revealed.