By Chen Aizhu

SINGAPORE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Privately-controlled city-gas distributor China Gas Holdings 0384.HK has hired a former senior trader from Chinese utility GCL Group to head its global natural gas business, China Gas officials said.

Xiong Xin, who was head of gas trading at GCL New Energy Holdings 0451.HK, a unit of solar power firm GCL Holdings, from early 2024, joined China Gas in October.

Xiong, with nearly a decade of trading experience at state oil giant CNOOC and private Chinese gas company ENN before he moved to GCL, heads China Gas' growing liquefied natural gas trading business as well as liquefied petroleum gas trading in his new role.

Xiong, who confirmed his move to Reuters, said he now manages a team of close to 30 traders, analysts and supporting staff, in offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, the southern Chinese city where China Gas has its headquarters.

Xiong's appointment comes several months after Xu Huilin, his previous boss at GCL New Energy, joined China Gas as its vice president in charge of both LNG and LPG business units, Xu told Reuters.

Hong Kong-listed China Gas is one of China's largest independent city-gas distributors with annual sales of around 40 billion cubic metres, roughly 9% of national consumption.

The company is set to expand both its LNG and LPG trading, each with annual turnover of about 4 million metric tons, Xu and Xiong said.

In LNG, the company has agreed several long-term LNG contracts with U.S. exporters including Energy Transfer, Next Decade and Venture Global, with combined annual volumes of 3.7 million metric tons. Shipments are due to start from 2027.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

((aizhu.chen@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: aizhu.chen.reuters.com@reuters.net))