BEIJING — Trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road witnessed robust growth in the first half of this year, official data showed on July 13.

China's total imports and exports with these countries surged 27.5 percent year on year to 5.35 trillion yuan (about $826 billion) in the January-June period, according to Li Kuiwen, a spokesperson with the General Administration of Customs.

The trade volume accounted for 29.6 percent of China's total foreign trade in the same period, while the growth stood at 0.4 percentage points faster than the overall pace, Li told a press conference.

China's exports to countries along the Belt and Road expanded 29.1 percent year-on-year in the six-month period, led by steel and auto products, Li said.

Meanwhile, imports from these nations went up 25.6 percent, with imports of crude oil, farm produce and metal ore reporting steady growth.

The China-Europe freight train service has contributed greatly to stabilizing trade along the Belt and Road, he said. The service handled 7,377 trips in the first half, up 43 percent from the same period last year, data by the China State Railway Group Co Ltd showed.

China's central and western regions have also increased participation in Belt and Road cooperation. In the first half, trade between these regions and countries along the route accounted for 19 percent of China's total, 0.4 percentage points higher than a year ago.