China's dependence on foreign oil reached 47.3 percent in the first half of this year, up 4.4 percentage points from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The ministry's statistics showed China's net imports of crude oil stood at 70.33 million tons in the first half, up 17.6 percent from the same period last year, and refined oil products stood at 12 million tons, up 48.3 percent.

Meanwhile, China produced 91.66 million tons of crude oil in the first half, a rise of 2.1 percent.

A blue paper energy report published by China's Social Sciences Academic Press predicted that China's dependence on imported oil will reach 50 percent in 2010.

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