An emergency plan has been launched in Beijing to guarantee the capital's heat supply, as Beijing is using more natural gas to provide heat this year, the coldest winter in 20 years.

The Beijing Times and Beijing Daily Messenger both ran headlines that the capital has launched an emergency plan to maintain the city's heat supply.

The Beijing Times printed two pages of information around the emergency plan. The articles explain that Beijing is using more natural gas to provide heat this year, the coldest winter in 20 years. However the gas supply is limited and can not be increased over the short term.

The paper says the emergency plan has been launched to guarantee the capital's heat supply; however, some enterprises will be forced to cut back on their consumption of natural gas. And some LPG bus will be retrofitted with diesel engines.

The newspapers reported that the gas supply to Beijing Hyundai and some luxury hotels like Beijing Hotel and Gloria Hotel has been reduced, but will not affect regular business operations.

(CRI January 11, 2005)