China's trade surplus will contract by about 50 percent in 2003, according to statements made at a financial forum by assistant minister of commerce Fu Ziying. China's overall trade volume is expected to increase to as much as US$850 billion in the next year, which will make it the world's fourth largest trading nation, Fu said.
Fu said that the trade surplus for 2003 will be around US$15 billion. China's trade surplus with the rest of the world reached US$30.4 billion in 2002.