STORY: China's exports accelerated last month, while imports also slowly recovered.
It was in part driven by factories rushing inventory overseas as they ready for bigger trade risks under a Donald Trump presidency.
Exports have been a vital growth engine for China - a bright spot for an economy still hurt by a prolonged property crisis and low consumer confidence.
Customs data showed Monday (Jan 13) outbound shipments in December rose 10.7% year-on-year - well above analyst projections and November's reading.
Imports surprised to the upside with 1.0% growth, the strongest performance since July last year.
Economists had expected a decline.
A Chinese customs spokesperson told reporters there was still "huge" room for China's imports to grow this year.
Analysts said a weakening yuan helped Chinese manufacturers find buyers overseas last year.
China's exports grew by an annual 5.9% last year, while imports increased just 1.1% over the same period.
Looking ahead, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed big tariffs on Chinese goods, and raised fears of a renewed trade war between the two countries.
Beijing also faces unresolved disputes with the EU over tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
It threatens to hit China's ambitions to expand its auto exports and help address deflationary overcapacity concerns.
Market reaction was muted to Monday's trade data.
The yuan hovered near 16-month lows against the dollar, while key share indexes were down.