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China's exports rose 5.1% in July from a year earlier, above expectations, while imports jumped 10.9%, leaving the country with a trade surplus of $17.8 billion for the month, the Customs Administration said on Thursday.
That compared with market expectations in a Reuters poll of a rise of 3.0% in exports, a 2.1% rise in imports and a trade surplus of $27.2 billion.
China's trade performance has dived since March after the government moved to quash fictitious deals that disguised illegal cash transfers across Chinese borders. Most analysts expect trade performance to stabilise before the year-end, but at a low level.
