The Chinese Customs Office released its trade data on Wednesday. China's trade surplus climbed to $58.2 billion in December from $54.1 billion in November, beating expectations for a decline to a surplus of $53.0 billion.
Exports fell at an annual rate of 1.4% in December, while imports slid at an annual rate of 7.6%, the fourteenth consecutive decline.
In yuan denomination, exports climbed 2.3% in December, while imports dropped 4.0%.