Trade on the rise with US, ASEAN

China's foreign trade with the United States rose 2.3 percent and with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by 1.5 percent in the first four months of this year, thanks to the growing market demand in the world's largest economy and diversified trading methods offered by the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The total trade volume between China and the US amounted to 1.05 trillion yuan ($169.5 billion) from January to April, while bilateral trade between China and ASEAN reached 895.1 billion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs on Friday.

Sang Baichuan, director of the Institute of International Business at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the data suggest that after a slow start in the first quarter, market demand has improved because of stronger economic growth in the US, while demand growth in emerging markets has also held up.