China is confident of maintaining around the same pace of growth in foreign trade this year as last year, the Ministry of Commerce said. Shen Danyang, the spokesman for the ministry, also noted that exports may see some fluctuation in the first quarter of this year due to seasonal factors, according to a statement on the ministry's website, www.mofcom.gov.cn China's exports grew 7.9 percent for all of 2013 compared with the previous year, while imports rose 7.3 percent, missing an official 8 percent growth target. (Reuters)