China’s trade pulls off despite odds

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%27s%20trade%20performed%20comparatively%20well%20amid%20very%20weak%20external%20demand%20and%20rising%20costs%2C%20a%20Ministry%20of%20Commerce%20official%20said%20yesterday.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20performance%20is%20indeed%20an%20achievement%20given%20the%20slowing%20investment%20at%20home%2C%20an%20appreciating%20yuan%20and%20rising%20costs%20of%20operation%2C%22%20said%20Shen%20Danyang%2C%20a%20ministry%20spokesman.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20World%20Trade%20Organization%20said%20global%20trade%20slumped%2011.1%20percent%20from%20a%20year%20earlier%20in%20the%20first%20three%20quarters%20of%20this%20year.%20Brazil%27s%20trade%20sank%2016.8%20percent%2C%20India%27s%20fell%2016.6%20percent%2C%20the%20European%20Union%27s%20shrank%2012.8%20percent%2C%20and%20Japan%27s%20declined%209.2%20percent.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%27s%20trade%20fell%20just%207.9%20percent%20to%2017.86%20trillion%20yuan%20%28%242.8%20trillion%29%20in%20the%20first%20three%20quarters.%20The%20drop%20was%20smaller%20than%20the%20global%20average%20but%20it%20trailed%20the%20official%20target%20of%206%20percent%20growth%20for%20the%20year.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EMany%20of%20the%20more%20than%206%2C000%20Chinese%20traders%20surveyed%20by%20the%20ministry%20said%20they%20felt%20global%20demand%20was%20even%20weaker%20than%20that%20in%202009%20when%20the%20world%20was%20struggling%20with%20the%20global%20financial%20crisis.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EBut%20Shen%20said%20China%20%22is%20set%20to%20keep%20its%20position%20as%20the%20world%27s%20biggest%20trader%2C%20with%20an%20increasing%20share%20in%20global%20trade.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3CBR%3E%28Ecns.cn%29%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E