BEIJING -- China must establish a stable jet fuel supply system to cope with increasing fuel prices, a senior official said Thursday.

With a fleet of 2,888 aircraft, China has become the world's second-largest jet fuel consumer, Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said at an international symposium.

The country consumed more than 17 million tons of jet fuel last year, he said.

China has 12 jet fuel companies, and China National Aviation Fuel Corp is the largest one of its kind in both China and Asia, Li said.

However, long distances between jet fuel producers and consumers as well as high logistics costs hindered the development of the country's civil aviation industry.

Li suggested the nation establish a stable jet fuel supply system, accelerate the construction of pipelines and storage centers, and build up national reserves of the commodity.

Liu Tienan, head of the National Energy Administration, said domestic jet fuel companies should work hard to reduce logistics costs in order to promote the development of China's civil aviation and energy sectors.