Country's export mix must be improved

Though the necessity to reduce China's external trade imbalance has been widely recognized, the extent of the reduction is proving more difficult than expected for some export-oriented industries to accept.

Policymakers need to pay close attention to the suffering of exporters. But any government aid to relieve their pain should not come without real progress on improving the country's export mix.

A recent survey by the China National Textile and Apparel Council found that the industry's profit margins averaged 3.9 percent last year. And two thirds of the companies surveyed reported an average profit margin of only 0.62 percent.