China to keep foreign trade growth stable in 2019 while improving its quality, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said Saturday at a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 13th NPC in Beijing.

China's foreign trade rose 9.7 percent year on year to a historic high of 30.5 trillion yuan (4.6 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018, Zhong Shan said.

China will actively expand imports in 2019, Zhong said, adding that private and public companies both have roles to play in foreign trade.

(Story includes material sourced from CGTN.)