China to boost exports, imports in 2026, seeking 'sustainable' trade

13/12/2025 16:20

China plans to expand exports and imports next year as part of efforts to promote "sustainable" trade, a senior economic official said on Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.



The trillion-dollar trade surplus posted by the world's second-largest economy is stirring tensions with Beijing's trade partners and drawing criticism from the International Monetary Fund and other observers who say its production-focused economic growth model is unsustainable.



"We must adhere to opening up, promote win-win cooperation across multiple sectors, expand exports while also increasing imports to drive sustainable development of foreign trade," Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, told an economic conference.



China will encourage service exports in 2026, Han said, pledging measures to boost household incomes, raise basic pensions and remove "unreasonable" restrictions in the consumption sector.