China Backs Exporters to Curb Export Decline

China will continue to back its exporters despite the shrinking global trade market.

Yao Jian, a spokesman with the Ministry of Commerce, said on Friday the priority now is to slow the decline in exports.

"Demands on international and domestic markets are equally important. We cannot compensate for a fall in external demand by simply expanding domestic demand. We must continue to offer favourable policies to our exporters in response to the slackening international market."

In the first four months, China's exports fell more than 24% from a year earlier with a total volume of about 600 billion US dollars.

Yao Jian said Chinese exports will remain subdued in the coming months as the government intensifies efforts to help exporters respond to the crisis.

"We will strengthen financial support to the exporters, especially small and medium sized ones. We will provide more insurance to exporters and try to ease the flow of goods through customs. We will also take active measures to face growing trade frictions."

Yao Jian said the country is also helping its exporters reshape their marketing schemes from reliance on external demand to seizing opportunities in both global and domestic markets.