China's foreign trade has demonstrated resilience and vitality this year despite a complex external environment, with growth in both the scale and quality of trade in goods, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

According to Ministry spokesperson He Yadong, in the first five months of this year, China's imports and exports with Belt and Road partner countries increased by 4.2 percent, ASEAN member states by 9.1 percent, and African nations by 12.4 percent.

He said at a regular press briefing that these figures demonstrate China's trade network is becoming increasingly diverse, with emerging markets contributing to incremental growth.

The country's high-tech and high-value-added products have become more competitive, with exports of electromechanical products rising 9.3 percent in the first five months of the year, accounting for 60 percent of China's total exports.

During the same period, imports and exports by private enterprises grew 7 percent, accounting for 57.1 percent of China's total foreign trade.

In the face of a complex and volatile external environment, China will steadfastly expand its high-standard opening-up and address the uncertainty of drastic changes in the external environment with the certainty of its own high-quality development, the spokesperson said.

China looks forward to working with more trade partners to address risks and challenges, and to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, he added.