China: Exports Decline, Imports Climb in First Half Year 　　CHINA'S foreign trade volume amounted to US$158 billion in the first half of this year, representing a 4.4 percent growth from the same period last year, according to the General Administration of Customs. 　　Exports declined by 4.6 percent to US$83 billion at the end of June, while imports surged by 16.6 percent to US$75 billion, the administration said. 　　A positive trend has been observed in China's exports during the January-June period, with its rate of decline slowing down from 7.9 percent in the first quarter to 1.3 per cent in the second quarter. 　　China's exports of machinery and electronic products continued to grow in the January-June period, while those of garments, textiles, shoes and toys all declined to varying degrees. 　　General trade imports soared by 82 percent to hit US$30.63 billion in the January-June period, representing a US$13.8 billion net growth compared to the same period last year. 　　The continued anti-smuggling campaign and the domestic market high demand for high-tech products from overseas are the chief reasons for the rapid growth of general trade imports. Economicnews 1999-07-15 Page2 Full Story in Chinese