The National Bureau of Statistics 2012 released its 2012 Statistical Bulletin on the 22nd, which shows that the preliminary calculation of the energy consumption in China totaled at 3.62 billion tons of standard coal in 2012, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year. Coal consumption in 2012 went up by 2.5% over last year; crude oil consumption rose by 6.0%; natural gas consumption grew by 10.2%; electricity consumption increased by 5.5%. The national energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP decreased by 3.6% over the previous year.

On the 25th of February, 2013, Wang Qishan, Vice Premier of the State Council and Chinese Chairman of China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee (CRECC), held talks in Beijing with Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Russian Chairman of CRECC. Wang Qishan said the two sides reached important consensus on Sino-Russian energy cooperation has made ??significant progress to expand crude oil trade. The two governments will support enterprises to conduct negotiations in the eastern pipeline gas supply. Both sides confirmed Russia is to supply 38 billion cubic meters of gas to China via the east pipelines per year, and they will continue research and feasibility studies regarding the liquefied natural gas project in the east pipelines and the gas supply project in the west pipelines. The all-round cooperation between Russia and China in various fields of oil, natural gas, electricity, coal and new energy fully embodies the spirit of comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership, said Dvorkovich.

The new round of major ministerial reform has been under constantly scrutiny. The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee meeting on the 23rd of February discussed and passed the draft Programme for Institutional Reform functional transform of the State Council, which has been put on the agenda for the 18th Session of the Second Plenary Session. Meanwhile, this round of integration includes the State Oceanic Administration to expand its powers and to strengthen its authority in comprehensive marine management. The Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Transport are expected to be integrated. The much rumored reform of building bigger ministries for energy, culture and finance has not been listed as a reform priority. The reform proposal for this round of major ministerial reform is likely to be launched after the two congresses of the NPC and CPPCC this year.