CRI听力: Foreign Trade Data Reflects More Positive Changes in China's Economy

Anchor:
A senior Chinese official says China's key July trade data added to the optimism that the world's third-largest economy is back on the track to recovery. However, he notes China's exports in the second half of the year still face difficulties, given the ongoing global recession and protectionism issues.

Our reporter Zhangcheng has more.(www.hXen.com)

Reporter:
Fu Ziying, China's vice minister of commerce, says the country's foreign trade showed signs of an upturn in July with exports and imports rising over the June figures despite an accelerated year-on-year fall.

Fu made his comments at a press conference on Wednesday in Beijing.

"According to the General Administration of Customs, the country's exports have risen to 100 billion US dollars in July, and foreign trade has risen to 200 billion US dollars in total. Moreover, in the first five months of this year, imports from China in the US, EU and Japan increased by more than three percentage points compared with the same period last year."

He adds China's foreign trade volume is expected to stand at two trillion US dollars this year despite adverse impact of the global downturn.

Despite these positive changes in China's foreign trade, uncertainties still exist in world economic development, and some domestic companies and industries face difficulties.

Fu Ziying explains.
"First, the global economy can't recover in the short term. Second, most residents of developed countries have changed their spending habits after the financial crisis. The savings ratios in those countries have increased from zero to nearly 7 percent, which will in a way impact China's exports."

The official also says protectionism is prevailing around the world, citing the recent imposition of tariffs on Chinese tire imports by the US.

"The US imposing punitive duties on Chinese tire imports is neither supported by facts nor does it have valid legal grounds. It is against basic WTO principles and looks like trade protectionism, We hope the US government will refrain from taking action for the long-term healthy and stable development of U.S.-Chinese relations."

He says in the face of the grave global economic environment, China will continue to take measures to boost foreign trade.

"The Central Government will work out measures to ensure foreign needs and the scale of foreign funds and attract more foreign companies to invest in China. Meanwhile, we'll encourage some competitive Chinese enterprises to invest in foreign countries."

Fu Ziying also says China will spare no efforts to create a healthy and positive environment for global economic development and strengthen economic cooperation and dialogues with other countries.

Zhangcheng, CRI News.