China's Yangtze River Delta saw record-high import and export volumes in the first five months of this year, extending consecutive foreign trade growth to 15 months, and demonstrating the strong resilience and vitality of China's economy.

The Yangtze River Delta region, which covers Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, all in east China, is one of China's most economically dynamic, open and innovative areas.

According to data from Chinese customs authorities, the region's total value of imports and exports in the five-month period reached 7.82 trillion yuan (about 1.16 trillion U.S. dollars), up 16.2 percent year on year and accounting for 37.8 percent of the nation's foreign trade total.

Exports amounted to 4.92 trillion yuan, accounting for 41.3 percent of the country's total. Exports of high-end manufacturing products such as ships, integrated circuits, and robots all achieved double-digit growth.

Imports totaled 2.9 trillion yuan during this period. Growing demand for raw materials and high-end components for industrial production supported stable operations in advanced manufacturing.

Foreign trade entities continued to demonstrate strong vitality. In the first five months, private enterprises recorded imports and exports totaling 4.22 trillion yuan, accounting for 54 percent of the Yangtze River Delta's total foreign trade value.

The region's imports and exports with Belt and Road countries increased by 17.5 percent year on year, while the foreign trade total with emerging markets, such as ASEAN, Latin America, and Africa, grew by 25.5 percent, 9.3 percent, and 14 percent, respectively, demonstrating its growing resilience in foreign trade.