Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday that China will maintain steady growth in foreign trade.

Delivering the government work report at the fifth session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) which started on Monday in Beijing, Wen told the meeting that China will maintain general continuity in the country's foreign trade policy.

"While expanding domestic demand is crucial, we can never overlook the importance of external demand in China's economic development."

Wen also said China will continue to implement the export tax rebate policy; increase trade financing and credit insurance; ensure that customs, quality inspectors, and foreign exchange authorities improve their supervision and services; and help enterprises overcome difficulties and pressures resulting from falling orders, rising costs and increasing trade friction.

Other measures also include: speeding up transformation of the way China develops foreign trade, fully implementing the strategy of boosting trade through upgrading technologies, improving quality, and diversifying markets.

Wen said China will consolidate traditional markets in the United States, Japan and Europe and open up emerging market. While keeping labor-intensive exports stable, China will expand the export of high-tech and high-value-added products, and limit the export of goods whose production is energy intensive and responsible for excessive pollution.

"We will work hard to promote trade in services and undertake more services outsourced by other countries," said Wen.

According to Wen, China will adopt guidelines to increase imports and promote trade balance, improve import policies, build more platforms to promote imports, and work for balanced growth of exports and imports.