"There are various reasons for the trade imbalance. No trade can survive if it benefits only one side.

"The reason why China's trade with other countries keeps growing so rapidly is because it benefits all partners," the ambassador said.

He said, however, that China should introduce further measures to stimulate its domestic consumption so as to avoid the trade gap from widening, while also expanding its communications and dialogs with its trading partners around the world.

(China Daily March 5, 2008)