China’s exports unexpectedly surged 44.5 percent at their fastest pace in three years in February, customs data showed Thursday.The spurt topped expectations and easily beat an 11.1 percent gain in January. 

Meanwhile, combined January-February trade data showed a dramatic acceleration in foreign trade growth. Exports rose 24 percent year on year in January to February, much better than the four percent growth in the same period last year, while imports expanded 21 percent year on year in January to February. 

In fact, China has been the top goods exporter in the world for eight years in a row. Its exports accounted for over 13 percent of the global total in 2016, up three percentage points from 2011. 

Besides, Chinese imports have seen significant growth since the 2008 economic crisis, taking 10 percent of the world's total imports. The country has bought more than 580-billion-US-dollar worth of goods and services from other nations in the past decade, which accounts for 20 percent of the growth in global imports. 

China's Belt and Road program has also greatly contributed to the country's foreign trade expansion. Official data shows that the trade value between China and the Belt and Road countries jumped to 7.4 trillion yuan (estimated 1.17 US dollars) in 2017, up 18 percent from the previous year.

Responding to criticism of the transparency and political impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said, “the Belt and Road Initiative is a transparent initiative from China. It follows the ‘golden rule’ of extensive consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits. Everything is in the open. No country is dominating the process. Every party has an equal say. There are no back-room deals. The BRI is a global public good that follows international rules.”

See other stories in the series: