国内英语新闻:China's exports on track of recovery, challenges remain: political advisors

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China's export is witnessing a steady recovery as shown by February figures, but uncertainties in the external market could still hamper the revival, political advisors said here Thursday.

China's exports grew for the third straight month in February, up 45.7 percent year on year to 94.52 billion U.S. dollars, the General Administration of Customs announced Wednesday.

The dramatic increase was a result of a lower comparison basis last year, said Ju Yalian, a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and also a senior foreign trade official in the eastern Zhejiang Province, one of the country's key export regions.

"But compared with figures in the corresponding period in 2008, when China's foreign trade was yet to be hit by the global financial crisis, we could still see a remarkable increase," she said on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the CPPCC National Committee, the top political advisory body.

China's exports rose 8.2 percent in February from two years ago while imports were up 9.8 percent.

The increase indicated the country's continued economic recovery, and a trend of recovery in foreign trade, she said.

However, Ju warned that the recovery in export could bring pressure of yuan appreciation and possible trade disputes.

Liang Yaowen, head of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong, China's southern export powerhouse, also said that the condition is not "so optimistic", noting that China's foreign trade in February dropped 11.5 percent month on month.

Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Saturday China's exports may need two or three years to return to the pre-crisis level, as "global recovery is still haunted by uncertainties."

"Now it is still too early to say exports will see full-year growth this year," he said on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.