China's imports of liquefied natural gas rose 29 percent in the first half from a year earlier, while purchases of coal climbed 61 percent, according to General Administration of Customs.

LNG supplies increased to 6.7 million metric tons through June this year with the delivered unit cost of the fuel was $549 a ton, according to the data. Coal imports, excluding lignite and including metallurgical coal, climbed to 113 million tons, delivered at an average of $118.55 a ton.

Crude futures, used to price contracted supplies of LNG, averaged $113.61 a barrel in London in the first half, which in calorie equivalent terms was about $19.59 per million Btu.