China's trade surplus used to be the focus of global attention. But it is now the country's surging trade growth that is in the spotlight.

After a 3.1 percent fall in June, exports rose 5.1 percent year-on-year in July, while imports soared by 10.9 percent year-on-year compared with a 0.7 percent year-on-year drop in June.

The stronger-than-expected growth rates have overshadowed the contraction in the country's monthly trade surplus, which dropped to $17.8 billion in July, down 29.6 percent on a year ago.