China's exports (denominated in USD) rose 25% year-on-year in August, in line with expectations, while imports increased 28.2%, below economists' forecast of 30%, indicating continued weakness in domestic demand, data released by Chinese customs on Tuesday showed. The trade surplus for the month expanded to $119.09 billion from $112.5 billion in July. Exports have become a key growth driver for the Chinese economy, with surging global demand for high-tech components driven by AI infrastructure development being a major contributing factor.