Ministry targets 8-percent growth in foreign trade

More importance attached to improving quality and efficiency

The growth of China's foreign trade in 2012 will come in at about 6 percent, while the Ministry of Commerce set a growth target of 8 percent for 2013, Commerce Minister Chen Deming told the annual meeting of the ministry on Friday.

It was seen as a prudent move amid a challenging external environment and growing efforts to expand domestic demand.