The nation's foreign trade is experiencing stable growth momentum, with declines tapering off as 2016 nears its end, and there is likely to be a rising trend in 2017, Zhi Luxun, deputy director of the department of foreign trade at MOFCOM, told a briefing on Monday.
The MOFCOM has not set any specific growth targets for trade in the next year because China's economic growth is moving away from a focus on speed to quality as the world is plagued by increasing uncertainties.
China's economic growth is entering a new phase and not setting a specific growth target for trade is more realistic, Zhi said.
Total trade fell 1.2 percent in the first 11 months, but that decline narrowed by 6.6 percentage points from the previous year, according to official data.
Zhi noted that China's trade structure is being optimized with exports like telecommunications and railway products continuing to rise in the first 11 months.
Trade policies promoted by MOFCOM seem to have had an effect as the decline in trade has begun to slow, Li Guanghui, a research fellow with MOFCOM, said at the same briefing.
China is beefing up efforts to nurture new driving forces, according to Li. The Chinese government will step up efforts to promote the One Belt, One Road initiative and free trade areas to expand economic and trade cooperation with other countries and regions, he said.
The Chinese government will step up efforts to promote the One Belt, One Road initiative and free trade areas to expand economic and trade cooperation with other countries and regions, he said.
