Export outlook still uncertain, says NBS (2)

China's exports rose by 12.4 percent in January even after seasonal factors, following 14.1 percent growth in December, according to the customs.

"But uncertainties continue to linger over recovery in the US, Europe and Japan, which may indicate still-weak overseas demand," Zhang Lei, a macroeconomic analyst with Minsheng Securities in Beijing, told the Global Times Sunday.

Despite a short-term deal to stave off the "fiscal cliff," the future of the US economy remains uncertain, as problems regarding the US debt ceiling are still unresolved, and this could impact private consumption, Zhang noted.

The major economies of the eurozone, including Germany and France, also remain sluggish, he said, noting that Japan's economy is vulnerable to a liquidity trap and is not likely to see any quick recovery.

Predicting that export growth may be around 8-9 percent for the whole of 2013, Industrial Bank's Lu noted it is of vital importance to pay attention to longer-term challenges.

"The global economic recovery is expected to continue in 2013, albeit at a slow pace, benefiting from the global quantitative easing, but over the longer term, it may cause important repercussions for China's exports," Lu said.

Japan's recent quantitative easing is especially noteworthy, Lu said, as it could lead to a currency war between Japan and some of its neighboring economies.