Cargo vessels handle foreign trade containers at Lianyungang Port container terminal, East China"s Jiangsu Province, in the early morning of October 14, 2026. Photo: CNS Photo

　　China"s total imports and exports reached 39.94 trillion yuan ($5.94 trillion) in the January-September period, soaring 18.8 percent year-on-year, marking the highest level for the same period in five years, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed on Wednesday. Chinese experts noted that these better-than-expected figures highlight the strong momentum of China"s foreign trade, demonstrating the competitiveness and resilience of the country"s manufacturing sector.

　　Pushing back against Western media hype regarding the so-called expansion of China"s trade surplus, these experts argued that rising trade protectionism, the overstretch of the national security concept and policy unpredictability - not China"s surplus - are the factors that have widened global imbalances in recent years. These issues require joint efforts to resolve, rather than for pinning the blame on China, they stressed.

　　Better-than-expected growth

　　From January to September, China"s exports increased by 16.4 percent year-on-year to 23.2 trillion yuan, while imports expanded by 22.3 percent to 16.74 trillion yuan, according to data released by the GAC.

　　Foreign trade growth in the first three quarters was the fastest for the same period in the past five years, with both quarterly and monthly growth rates generally accelerating, said Wang Jun, GAC"s deputy head.

　　"Latest international data show that such a growth rate ranks among the top among major economies, and China remains the world"s largest trader of goods," the official stated at a press conference on Wednesday.