§ 14 and 15. Mr. Rankinasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the total of China's sterling surplus derived from her balance of trade with Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Malaya for 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956;
(2) the total sterling value of China's favourable balance of trade with the sterling area for the years 1952 to 1956, inclusive.
§ Sir D. EcclesAs the Answer contains a number of figures, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. China does not publish any trade statistics. The figures circulated are therefore those recorded by sterling area countries. These figures contain a measure of double counting, and do not in any case give a picture of China's overall balance of payments with the free world.
| £ million | |||||||
| — | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | ||
| Exports from China to the Sterling Area (mainly valued c.i.f.) | … | … | 86 | 96 | 78 | 93 | 118 |
| Imports into China from the Sterling Area (valued f.o.b.) | … | … | 79 | 65 | 63 | 53 | 51 |
| Exports from China to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Malaya (valued c.i.f.) | … | … | 69 | 76 | 62 | 82 | 93 |
| Imports into China from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Malaya (valued f.o.b.) | … | … | 37 | 41 | 34 | 21 | 22 |