Energy Chief Calls For More Reform

China's energy industry needs more reform to pull through the difficulties of the economic chill worldwide, said National Energy Administration head Zhang Guobao yesterday.

"The world financial crisis has brought a negative impact to China's economy, and the country's energy sector is no exception," Zhang said during a speech at the national energy work conference.

He said enterprises faced great difficulties amid weak world demand. Official statistics show China consumed 2.74 billion tons of coal last year, up 4.5 percent over the same period last year. However, the growth rate was 1.6 percentage points less than that in 2007.

He said the government should make further efforts to raise energy utilization efficiency and reduce pollution.