BEIJING -- China has issued a guideline on further beefing up the infrastructure construction and storage capacity of natural gas to promote the stable and sound development of the sector.

Efforts should be made to optimize construction layout and strengthen the development of standards in the sector, said the document posted on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday.

It encourages existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving stations to expand storage tanks and supports city clusters to jointly build and share storage facilities.

The guideline also urged improving operating modes and channels for investment returns of the sector and prompting the inter-connectivity and opening-up of infrastructures, including LNG pipeline networks and receiving stations.

Preferential land, financial, tax and investment policies will be propped up to facilitate the expansion of natural gas storage capacity, said the document.

China has been promoting the efficient use of natural gas in sectors including industrial fuel, power generating and transportation, and plans to boost the share of the clean energy in its total primary energy consumption to 10 percent by 2020, according to a three-year action plan on air pollution control released in 2018.