China's trade surplus with the United States increased last year to  323.3 billion US dollars from 275.8 billion US dollars in 2017, data showed today.  The surplus with the US is a major source of anger within the Trump administration, which imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods. However, China's exports to the US sank last month. 

The figures come after a US delegation held three days of talks in Beijing last week in the first meeting since US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in December pledged a 90-day truce to resolve the crisis. The country's commerce minister told state media on Friday that China will work to straighten out trade frictions with the US this year. 

China's exports to the world fell 4.4 per cent in December from a year earlier, while imports dropped 7.6 per cent, reflecting sluggish demand at home and abroad.