BEIJING, April 20 -- China's cross-border e-commerce trade rose 9.6 percent year on year to 577.6 billion yuan (about 81.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed.

During the period, the country's e-commerce imports and exports with Silk Road e-commerce partner countries such as Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia and Brazil, saw rapid growth, the ministry said.

The pace of international cooperation in e-commerce has accelerated, the MOC said, noting that for the first time, it organized Chinese e-commerce platforms to conduct roadshows in foreign countries. Through such an initiative, Chinese e-commerce firms connected with more than 60 small and medium-sized enterprises in Italy, according to the ministry.

In the first quarter, the national online retail sales reached 3.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 12.4 percent year on year, with service consumption continuing to lead the growth, the MOC said.