(Xinhua) China is set to exploit more unconventional gas reserves to meet rising demand and to power its rapid economic growth as part of the country's efforts to grapple with energy shortages and climate change.

Natural gas consumption accounts for only four percent of China's total energy needs, well below the world's average of 24 percent, and even below Asian countries' average of 11 percent, Wu Yin, deputy head of the National Energy Administration, said at an energy forum on Saturday.

The country has booming demand for natural gas, but its supplies always fall short of demand, forcing the government to raise onshore natural gas prices by 25 percent in early June to adjust for the market demand.

China aimed to double the weighting of natural gas in its total energy consumption basket to eight percent over the next five years, which would also be a test of the country's gas production capacity, Wu said.