BEIJING- China's crude oil imports are expected to increase by around 2% in 2020 amid lower prices, while apparent crude oil consumption is seen rising by 1-2%, according to a think tank affiliated to China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC).

The think tank expects China's refined oil products demand to fall by about 5%, the first contraction since 2000, as the coronavirus outbreak shut industrial plants and froze travel.

China's natural gas consumption is estimated to rise 3% this year to 313.5 billion cubic metres (bcm), but it would be the slowest annual growth in two decades.

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Tom Daly) ((muyu.xu@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 56692117;))