And as CRI's Shen Chengcheng reports, officials remain optimistic about China's foreign trade this year, despite world economic uncertainties.

 

　　China's exports and imports volume totaled 3.87 trillion U.S. dollars in 2012, but the growth rate of 6.2 percent missed the government's 10-percent annual target.

 

　　Zheng Yuesheng, General Administration of Customs spokesman, explains.

 

　　"First, there has been a decrease of foreign demand and orders, second, because of the increase of production cost, Chinese exports became less competitive, third, the international trade protectionism has been prevailing. And fourth, domestic demand has been weakening so as the momentum of imports."

 

　　China's exports rose 7.9 percent in 2012 from the previous year while imports increased 4.3 percent.

 

　　Foreign trade surplus widened to over 230-billion U.S. dollars last year, 48.1 percent more than the level recorded in 2011.

 

　　Zheng Yuesheng said in the past year the United States has overcome the European Union to become China's biggest export destination.

 

　　Meantime, Hong Kong has replaced Japan as the mainland's fourth trading partner.

 

　　"In 2012, there's a decrease in trade with EU and Japan, the essential reason for this is the dire situation the two economies have experienced. Sino-Japanese trade was down 3.9 percent, partly due to the negative effect from the Diaoyu island dispute."

 

　　However, Zheng said that China's trade will be "slightly better" in 2013 than 2012.

 

　　"All the negative factors we encountered in foreign trade in 2012 will remain in 2013. For example, the recovery of the world economy lack momentum, which means foreign demand will remain weak. This along with high production costs and trade protectionism will worsen Chinese companies' trading environment. But we think there are going to be some positive changes this year, such as major economies' stimulus policies will revive the world economy."

 

　　Zheng said the Chinese government would continue its work to support the steady growth of foreign trade.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.