China April exports down 6.4 pct yr/yr, well below forecast

That left the country with a trade surplus of $34.13 billion for the month, the General Administration of Customs said on Friday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected exports to rise 2.4 percent in April from a year earlier, and predicted imports would fall 12 percent.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang was quoted by Xinhua state news agency as saying last month that authorities must arrest China's export slowdown lest it further dampen economic growth. (Reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Kim Coghill)