C. China's Hunan sees foreign trade up 0.9 pct in Q1

Photo shows robots working at a plant of Sany Heavy Industry in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

Central China's Hunan Province saw foreign trade grow by 0.9 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, local customs said on Monday.

The province's import and export value hit 114.92 billion yuan from January to March, among which exports rose 2.7 percent to 75.75 billion yuan, according to Changsha Customs in the provincial capital.

During the period, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained the major trading partner of the province with a fast growth rate. The import and export value between Hunan and ASEAN reached 21.7 billion yuan, up 30.2 percent year on year in Q1.

At the same time, Hunan's trade with member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) climbed 10.3 percent year on year to 37.69 billion yuan in Q1.

Imports and exports between the province and the Belt and Road Initiative in Q1 reached 37.39 billion yuan, up 24.3 percent compared with the same period in 2021.