Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday termed the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-paper-leak-police-conducts-raids-in-various-locations-around-delhi-126879">CBSE examination paper</a> leak issue “unfortunate” and said culprits would not go scot-free, a day after the board announced re-examination in a Class 10 and a Class 12 subject.

The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination. The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-paper-leak-protesting-students-demand-re-exams-in-all-subjects-say-more-papers-leaked-127001">Students are protesting</a> at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against having to sit for two of their CBSE papers again. ANI quoted the students as saying that re-exams should be either held for all papers, or for none.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will declare the date of re-examination probably on Monday or Tuesday, Javadekar said.

“This (paper leak) has been breach by the culprits and we will not let any culprit go scot-free. The police are on the job and I am very sure, they will nab the culprits as they have done in case of the SSC exam leak case. We have also instituted an internal inquiry,” Javadekar told reporters in Delhi.

Terming the incident ‘unfortunate’, Javadekar said he could “understand the pain, anguish and frustrations” of students and parents because “we are one with them”.

He also said being a parent, he could not sleep last night. “I understand the pain the parents and students have to go through... I could not sleep, I am also a parent.”

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-leaks-kejriwal-demands-strict-action-against-culprits-127029"> CBSE</a> has earned a name for “conducting good examination” and was therefore, assigned the task of conducting medical entrance examination by the Supreme Court, he said.

“We must make all efforts to ensure that this exam go really without any breach though culprits may be using newer ways and methods,” he said.

He said all efforts would be made to improve the system with the new challenges posed by the culprits and make it “fool proof”.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged leak of the CBSE examination papers.

"We have received snapshots of the handwritten paper circulated through Whatsapp from the complainant. We are trying to ascertain the source of these messages. Since Whatsapp messages are end-to-end encrypted, we are facing a bit of difficulty in tracing the source," said an officer privy to the probe.

A total 25 people have been questioned so far.

Both the papers were leaked on WhatsApp a day before the exam. No person has been arrested so far.&nbsp;

"We are trying to trace the trail of paper leak. One private tutor was named by CBSE in their complaint, he has been interrogated" said&nbsp;RP Upadhyay, Special CP

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We are trying to trace the trail of paper leak. One private tutor was named by CBSE in their complaint, he has been interrogated: RP Upadhyay, Special CP, Delhi on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeaked?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeaked</a> <a href="https://t.co/ohwCyi6D7J">pic.twitter.com/ohwCyi6D7J</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979306958573498368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Also, the Congress on Thursday demanded removal of Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Chairperson in connection with the CBSE paper leak case.

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Without removing Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal from their current positions, a fair and impartial investigation into this paper leak issue is impossible."

The Congress spokesperson also claimed that not only two papers but some more papers have also been leaked.

"Post Vyapam and SSC, now three papers of CBSE have been leaked. As per students, some more papers have also been leaked. There was an error in evaluation of Class 12 exams in 2017," Surjewala asserted.

He also questioned: why was the post of CBSE chairman left vacant for 2 years?

The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination. The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28

Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday termed the CBSE examination paper leak issue “unfortunate” and said culprits would not go scot-free, a day after the board announced re-examination in a Class 10 and a Class 12 subject. The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination. The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28. Students are protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against having to sit for two of their CBSE papers again. ANI quoted the students as saying that re-exams should be either held for all papers, or for none. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will declare the date of re-examination probably on Monday or Tuesday, Javadekar said. “This (paper leak) has been breach by the culprits and we will not let any culprit go scot-free. The police are on the job and I am very sure, they will nab the culprits as they have done in case of the SSC exam leak case. We have also instituted an internal inquiry,” Javadekar told reporters in Delhi. Terming the incident ‘unfortunate’, Javadekar said he could “understand the pain, anguish and frustrations” of students and parents because “we are one with them”. He also said being a parent, he could not sleep last night. “I understand the pain the parents and students have to go through... I could not sleep, I am also a parent.” The CBSE has earned a name for “conducting good examination” and was therefore, assigned the task of conducting medical entrance examination by the Supreme Court, he said. “We must make all efforts to ensure that this exam go really without any breach though culprits may be using newer ways and methods,” he said. He said all efforts would be made to improve the system with the new challenges posed by the culprits and make it “fool proof”. The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged leak of the CBSE examination papers. "We have received snapshots of the handwritten paper circulated through Whatsapp from the complainant. We are trying to ascertain the source of these messages. Since Whatsapp messages are end-to-end encrypted, we are facing a bit of difficulty in tracing the source," said an officer privy to the probe. A total 25 people have been questioned so far. Both the papers were leaked on WhatsApp a day before the exam. No person has been arrested so far. "We are trying to trace the trail of paper leak. One private tutor was named by CBSE in their complaint, he has been interrogated" said RP Upadhyay, Special CP We are trying to trace the trail of paper leak. One private tutor was named by CBSE in their complaint, he has been interrogated: RP Upadhyay, Special CP, Delhi on #CBSEPaperLeaked pic.twitter.com/ohwCyi6D7J — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × Also, the Congress on Thursday demanded removal of Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Chairperson in connection with the CBSE paper leak case. Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Without removing Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal from their current positions, a fair and impartial investigation into this paper leak issue is impossible." The Congress spokesperson also claimed that not only two papers but some more papers have also been leaked. "Post Vyapam and SSC, now three papers of CBSE have been leaked. As per students, some more papers have also been leaked. There was an error in evaluation of Class 12 exams in 2017," Surjewala asserted. He also questioned: why was the post of CBSE chairman left vacant for 2 years?

CBSE paper leak: I understand pain of students, says Javadekar

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be reconducting the Economics exam for Class XII and Mathematics exam for Class X after reports of paper leak surfaced.

The dates for the re-examination will be announced soon, CBSE said.

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CBSE will conduct re-examination of Maths paper for class X and Economics paper of class XII. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boardexams?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#boardexams</a> <a href="https://t.co/RCOwqRt6EZ">pic.twitter.com/RCOwqRt6EZ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/978931670958133250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Pm Modi has since spoken to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and conveyed his unhappiness over the paper leak issue and asked for strict action against the incident.

In a statement on Wednesday, the board said that it has taken cognisance of certain happenings in the conduct of examinations after which the decision is being taken.

"The Board has taken cognizance of certain happenings in the conduct of certain examinations as are being reported. With the view to upholding the sanctity of the Board examinations and in the interest of the fairness to the students, the Board has decided to reconduct the examinations in the subjects,” a CBSE statement said.

Also, number of teachers, parents as well as students are seeking to move the Delhi High court for a probe in the series of leak.

As per reports, the parents and students have also said that exam papers of class X Social Science and class XII Biology were also leaked.

Earlier, the CBSE had denied any leak of question paper. "All the seals have been found intact at all the centres. During the process of examination, however, at local level, some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through WhatsApp and social media to disturb the sanctity of the examinations," the Board said in its earlier statement.

Students appeared for the Class 10 mathematics paper of the Central Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday while the Class 12 Economics paper was held on March 26.

The dates for the re-examination will be announced soon

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be reconducting the Economics exam for Class XII and Mathematics exam for Class X after reports of paper leak surfaced. The dates for the re-examination will be announced soon, CBSE said. CBSE will conduct re-examination of Maths paper for class X and Economics paper of class XII. #boardexams pic.twitter.com/RCOwqRt6EZ — ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2018 × Pm Modi has since spoken to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and conveyed his unhappiness over the paper leak issue and asked for strict action against the incident. In a statement on Wednesday, the board said that it has taken cognisance of certain happenings in the conduct of examinations after which the decision is being taken. "The Board has taken cognizance of certain happenings in the conduct of certain examinations as are being reported. With the view to upholding the sanctity of the Board examinations and in the interest of the fairness to the students, the Board has decided to reconduct the examinations in the subjects,” a CBSE statement said. Also, number of teachers, parents as well as students are seeking to move the Delhi High court for a probe in the series of leak. As per reports, the parents and students have also said that exam papers of class X Social Science and class XII Biology were also leaked. Earlier, the CBSE had denied any leak of question paper. "All the seals have been found intact at all the centres. During the process of examination, however, at local level, some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through WhatsApp and social media to disturb the sanctity of the examinations," the Board said in its earlier statement. Students appeared for the Class 10 mathematics paper of the Central Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday while the Class 12 Economics paper was held on March 26.

CBSE exam paper leak: PM Modi asks HRD minister to take 'strict action'

In 2017, we saw the consolidation of China&rsquo;s power and influence globally, and of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping&rsquo;s power nationally. This year, the party will try to use this to tackle some of its biggest economic hurdles such as financial risk, environmental pollution and maintaining social cohesion.

A first and overriding priority will be managing and preventing major financial risks within the Chinese economy. China will continue to clean up and tighten controls over its financial sector.

Beijing has already banned risk-laden Bitcoin from its financial system, and the government says it will maintain a &ldquo;proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy&rdquo; for 2018.

This is in line with moves earlier in 2017 to curb credit growth and consolidate the country&rsquo;s 100 trillion yuan (US$15 trillion) financial services asset-management industry under a single regulatory umbrella.

Regulators have also issued a 36-point code of conduct for the country&rsquo;s private enterprises to follow when investing overseas. This is part of a move to clip the wings of China&rsquo;s most aggressive global deal makers, firms like HNA Group and Fosun International. These businesses responded enthusiastically to the government&rsquo;s &ldquo;going out&rdquo; policy to link China to the rest of the global economy, launched at the beginning of the century.

On the one hand, China has banned investments in gambling and &ldquo;sensitive&rdquo; industries and restricted investments in property, hotel, film and sports. But projects linked to China&rsquo;s ambitious Belt and Road initiative are actively encouraged. So 2018 should see a continuation of China&rsquo;s expanding economic influence globally through infrastructure and other major projects.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>
Beijing&rsquo;s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. How Hwee Young/AAP

&nbsp;
</figcaption>
</figure>

Tackling pollution, of all kinds

In line with the party&rsquo;s focus on stability and risk minimisation is a clear determination to move away from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. &ldquo;Quality&rdquo; here means an economy that is cleaner and more user friendly.

The government is trying to reduce pollution. Measures to close down polluting factories and make local officials more accountable for environmental damage are starting to make a difference.

A major component of the shift to a cleaner economy is China&rsquo;s determination to free itself from any reliance upon carbon imports. This has potentially major implications for the Australian economy, which has done so well over the past few decades largely because of its commodity exports to China.

China is also no longer willing to accept imports of Australian waste, leaving Australia with the question of how else to deal with its accumulating stockpiles.

Social stability for economic and political stability

In an unusual move during last year&rsquo;s annual end-of-year economic convention, the government detailed concerns from the wider public on issues such as online scams, sex discrimination in the workplace and a lack of kindergarten services in certain regions. This reflects the party&rsquo;s concern with social cohesion.

Maintaining a harmonious society has long been a concern of China&rsquo;s leaders. In 2018, the anti-poverty campaign - one of Xi Jinping&rsquo;s pet projects - will accelerate, with millions of rural poor being relocated to new housing with water and power. This will not only boost GDP and economic growth figures, it&rsquo;s also aimed at promoting support for the party and its leaders.

Chinese leadership&rsquo;s emphasis on social harmony extends to supporting the party in its policy endeavours. A series of recent measures have been aimed at strengthening party organisations in business and civil society organisations.

In line with existing provisions in China&rsquo;s Company Law, these measures seek to ensure that all organisations in China (local and foreign, commercial and non-profit) make room within the organisation for the operations of a Communist Party cell. This allows the party to monitor and influence the operations of any organisation.

The rolling out of a social credit system is also aimed at monitoring and influencing the behaviour of both organisations and individuals. It operates by awarding social credit points for good social behaviour, whether it be corporate philanthropy or an individual picking up rubbish on the kerbside. It also deducts points for bad behaviour, such as traffic law violations, failing to pay bills on time or domestic violence. There are even &ldquo;blacklists&rdquo; for the worst offenders.

Beijing&rsquo;s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. But the messiness and the unknowns will lie in its local implementation.

China has always struggled, and always will struggle, with the question of how to balance direction from a central government with local implementation for local circumstances.

For example, a recent decree requiring all local areas to move away from coal fired heating, towards natural gas, hit a snag when thousands of houses and schools were left without heating in freezing conditions in northern China. It forced authorities to back-track on implementing the policy.

The key for the government will be to strike a balance between reform and preserving stability. Aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability.

If successful, China&rsquo;s reforms will allow its economy to take the lead in adapting to a dynamic world. But the sheer size of its ambitions (both global and local) also contains the risk that failures, if they occur, could have devastating impacts.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-we-can-expect-from-chinas-economy-in-2018-89911" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

In China, aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability.

In 2017, we saw the consolidation of China’s power and influence globally, and of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s power nationally. This year, the party will try to use this to tackle some of its biggest economic hurdles such as financial risk, environmental pollution and maintaining social cohesion. A first and overriding priority will be managing and preventing major financial risks within the Chinese economy. China will continue to clean up and tighten controls over its financial sector. Beijing has already banned risk-laden Bitcoin from its financial system, and the government says it will maintain a “proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy” for 2018. This is in line with moves earlier in 2017 to curb credit growth and consolidate the country’s 100 trillion yuan (US$15 trillion) financial services asset-management industry under a single regulatory umbrella. Regulators have also issued a 36-point code of conduct for the country’s private enterprises to follow when investing overseas. This is part of a move to clip the wings of China’s most aggressive global deal makers, firms like HNA Group and Fosun International. These businesses responded enthusiastically to the government’s “going out” policy to link China to the rest of the global economy, launched at the beginning of the century. On the one hand, China has banned investments in gambling and “sensitive” industries and restricted investments in property, hotel, film and sports. But projects linked to China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative are actively encouraged. So 2018 should see a continuation of China’s expanding economic influence globally through infrastructure and other major projects. Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. How Hwee Young/AAP Tackling pollution, of all kinds In line with the party’s focus on stability and risk minimisation is a clear determination to move away from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. “Quality” here means an economy that is cleaner and more user friendly. The government is trying to reduce pollution. Measures to close down polluting factories and make local officials more accountable for environmental damage are starting to make a difference. A major component of the shift to a cleaner economy is China’s determination to free itself from any reliance upon carbon imports. This has potentially major implications for the Australian economy, which has done so well over the past few decades largely because of its commodity exports to China. China is also no longer willing to accept imports of Australian waste, leaving Australia with the question of how else to deal with its accumulating stockpiles. Social stability for economic and political stability In an unusual move during last year’s annual end-of-year economic convention, the government detailed concerns from the wider public on issues such as online scams, sex discrimination in the workplace and a lack of kindergarten services in certain regions. This reflects the party’s concern with social cohesion. Maintaining a harmonious society has long been a concern of China’s leaders. In 2018, the anti-poverty campaign - one of Xi Jinping’s pet projects - will accelerate, with millions of rural poor being relocated to new housing with water and power. This will not only boost GDP and economic growth figures, it’s also aimed at promoting support for the party and its leaders. Chinese leadership’s emphasis on social harmony extends to supporting the party in its policy endeavours. A series of recent measures have been aimed at strengthening party organisations in business and civil society organisations. In line with existing provisions in China’s Company Law, these measures seek to ensure that all organisations in China (local and foreign, commercial and non-profit) make room within the organisation for the operations of a Communist Party cell. This allows the party to monitor and influence the operations of any organisation. The rolling out of a social credit system is also aimed at monitoring and influencing the behaviour of both organisations and individuals. It operates by awarding social credit points for good social behaviour, whether it be corporate philanthropy or an individual picking up rubbish on the kerbside. It also deducts points for bad behaviour, such as traffic law violations, failing to pay bills on time or domestic violence. There are even “blacklists” for the worst offenders. Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. But the messiness and the unknowns will lie in its local implementation. China has always struggled, and always will struggle, with the question of how to balance direction from a central government with local implementation for local circumstances. For example, a recent decree requiring all local areas to move away from coal fired heating, towards natural gas, hit a snag when thousands of houses and schools were left without heating in freezing conditions in northern China. It forced authorities to back-track on implementing the policy. The key for the government will be to strike a balance between reform and preserving stability. Aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability. If successful, China’s reforms will allow its economy to take the lead in adapting to a dynamic world. But the sheer size of its ambitions (both global and local) also contains the risk that failures, if they occur, could have devastating impacts. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion: China needs to balance aggressive reforms with economic stability

A 98-year-old man was awarded his masters degree at the 12th annual convocation of Nalanda Open University, on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Raj Kumar Vaishya, whose name has been added in the Limca Book of Records, received his degree for MA Economics (2015) by Bihar governer Satya Pal Malik and Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad.&nbsp;

Vaishya attended the ceremony with his son and daughter-in-law and was showered with loud cheers and applause.&nbsp;

&quot;I am happy today. I had worked hard. For long, I had cherished the dream of completing my masters... the young should concentrate on their education and not on career alone,&quot; Vaish told reporters here after receiving the degree.

A total of 22,100 students were awarded degrees for their respective courses this year including 29 gold medalists.&nbsp;

&quot;It is really a big achievement for NOU. Hats off to Vaish and his sheer determination to pursue studies at this age.... we wonder from where he draws so much energy,&quot; Registrar S P Sinha said.&nbsp;

Vaish is probably the oldest person to get a post-graduate (PG) degree from this university, he said.

Vaish reportedly completed his graduation from Agra University in 1938, did his LLB in 1940, but could not complete his PG as he got a job as &#39;law officer&#39; with Christian Mica Industry at Koderma (now in Jharkhand).

(With agency inputs)

Raj Kumar Vaishya received his degree in economics. His name has been added in the Limca Book of Records

A 98-year-old man was awarded his masters degree at the 12th annual convocation of Nalanda Open University, on Tuesday. Raj Kumar Vaishya, whose name has been added in the Limca Book of Records, received his degree for MA Economics (2015) by Bihar governer Satya Pal Malik and Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad. Vaishya attended the ceremony with his son and daughter-in-law and was showered with loud cheers and applause. "I am happy today. I had worked hard. For long, I had cherished the dream of completing my masters... the young should concentrate on their education and not on career alone," Vaish told reporters here after receiving the degree. A total of 22,100 students were awarded degrees for their respective courses this year including 29 gold medalists. "It is really a big achievement for NOU. Hats off to Vaish and his sheer determination to pursue studies at this age.... we wonder from where he draws so much energy," Registrar S P Sinha said. Vaish is probably the oldest person to get a post-graduate (PG) degree from this university, he said. Vaish reportedly completed his graduation from Agra University in 1938, did his LLB in 1940, but could not complete his PG as he got a job as 'law officer' with Christian Mica Industry at Koderma (now in Jharkhand). (With agency inputs)

Patna: 98-year-old man gets Master's degree

China&#39;s exports and imports unexpectedly accelerated last month in an encouraging sign for the world&#39;s second-biggest economy, though analysts expect growth to continue cooling amid a government crackdown on financial risks and polluting factories.&nbsp;

As global demand has surprised with its strength, consumers have lapped up Chinese goods at a rapid rate this year, giving the economy a boost and providing policymakers, room to tighten rules to curb high-risk lending.&nbsp;Exports in November rose 12.3 percent year-on-year, the fastest pace in eight months, led by strong sales of electronics and high-tech goods, while commodity purchases helped lift imports. The number beat analysts&#39; forecast of a 5.0 percent increase and compared with 6.9 percent growth in October.&nbsp;

Imports grew 17.7 percent year-on-year in November, the General Administration of Customs said on Friday, also well above expectations of 11.3 percent growth and rising at the fastest pace since September.&nbsp;The numbers may help to ease concerns of slowing momentum in Asia&#39;s economic powerhouse, which had surprised markets with robust growth of nearly 6.9 percent in the first nine months of this year, thanks to a government-led infrastructure spending spree and unexpected strength in exports.

&quot;While we still expect China&#39;s domestic economy to cool in 2018 on gradually tighter fiscal policies, the November import data shows that there are upside risks to our China outlook&quot;, said Louis Kuijs, head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong.&nbsp;Tighter rules to rein in risks from a rapid build-up in debt and cut pollution have weighed on overall activity since the third quarter.

Besides ramped-up efforts to reduce winter pollution, authorities unveiled fresh regulatory measures last month for the financial sector, clamping down on high-risk lending and halting some dubious infrastructure projects that would swell local governments&#39; debt.

Imports Bounce To Tail Off?

Some of China&#39;s northern provinces have ordered factories to throttle back or halt output to reduce notoriously thick winter smog.&nbsp;While the war on pollution had been expected to reduce raw materials imports, Friday&#39;s trade numbers showed commodity imports rebounded last month.&nbsp;

China&#39;s natural gas imports in November rose to a record as domestic demand surged while crude imports were the second-highest ever, as refiners ramped up output to cash in on strong profits as fuel prices soar.&nbsp;China&#39;s iron ore imports rose in November even as steel mills are cutting output as part of a government drive against pollution as some analysts said traders were stockpiling inventory.&nbsp;

Iron ore imports &quot;were not necessarily just by steel mills but could have been also purchased by traders&quot;, said Helen Lau at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong. He added, &quot;They&#39;re trying to accumulate stocks and will do so maybe through March in anticipation of Chinese mills resuming production when China lifts the winter restrictions&quot;.&nbsp;

Steel exports rose from the previous month to 5.35 million tonnes in November, data showed.&nbsp;The rebound in imports comes as China&#39;s yuan has fallen 2.8 percent against the dollar since hitting its 2017 peak on September 8.&nbsp;The latest data showed the country posted a trade surplus of $40.21 billion for the month versus expectations of $35 billion in November after October&#39;s $38.185 billion. Despite the overall strength of the November data, imports could come under pressure as China&#39;s economy cools, analysts say.&nbsp;

&quot;Chinese trade looks to have been surprisingly strong last month. We expect exports to continue to perform well in the coming months on the back of strong global demand&quot;, Capital Economics China economist Julian Evans-Pritchard wrote in a note.&nbsp;&quot;However, we are skeptical that the strength of imports can be sustained given that the delayed impact of policy tightening and a cooling property market are set to weigh on Chinese demand for commodities in coming quarters&quot;.

China's natural gas imports and iron imports rose in November, while steel mills are trying to cut output in a drive against pollution. The growth is still phenomenal for world's second-biggest economy

China's exports and imports unexpectedly accelerated last month in an encouraging sign for the world's second-biggest economy, though analysts expect growth to continue cooling amid a government crackdown on financial risks and polluting factories. As global demand has surprised with its strength, consumers have lapped up Chinese goods at a rapid rate this year, giving the economy a boost and providing policymakers, room to tighten rules to curb high-risk lending. Exports in November rose 12.3 percent year-on-year, the fastest pace in eight months, led by strong sales of electronics and high-tech goods, while commodity purchases helped lift imports. The number beat analysts' forecast of a 5.0 percent increase and compared with 6.9 percent growth in October. Imports grew 17.7 percent year-on-year in November, the General Administration of Customs said on Friday, also well above expectations of 11.3 percent growth and rising at the fastest pace since September. The numbers may help to ease concerns of slowing momentum in Asia's economic powerhouse, which had surprised markets with robust growth of nearly 6.9 percent in the first nine months of this year, thanks to a government-led infrastructure spending spree and unexpected strength in exports. "While we still expect China's domestic economy to cool in 2018 on gradually tighter fiscal policies, the November import data shows that there are upside risks to our China outlook", said Louis Kuijs, head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong. Tighter rules to rein in risks from a rapid build-up in debt and cut pollution have weighed on overall activity since the third quarter. Besides ramped-up efforts to reduce winter pollution, authorities unveiled fresh regulatory measures last month for the financial sector, clamping down on high-risk lending and halting some dubious infrastructure projects that would swell local governments' debt. Imports Bounce To Tail Off? Some of China's northern provinces have ordered factories to throttle back or halt output to reduce notoriously thick winter smog. While the war on pollution had been expected to reduce raw materials imports, Friday's trade numbers showed commodity imports rebounded last month. China's natural gas imports in November rose to a record as domestic demand surged while crude imports were the second-highest ever, as refiners ramped up output to cash in on strong profits as fuel prices soar. China's iron ore imports rose in November even as steel mills are cutting output as part of a government drive against pollution as some analysts said traders were stockpiling inventory. Iron ore imports "were not necessarily just by steel mills but could have been also purchased by traders", said Helen Lau at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong. He added, "They're trying to accumulate stocks and will do so maybe through March in anticipation of Chinese mills resuming production when China lifts the winter restrictions". Steel exports rose from the previous month to 5.35 million tonnes in November, data showed. The rebound in imports comes as China's yuan has fallen 2.8 percent against the dollar since hitting its 2017 peak on September 8. The latest data showed the country posted a trade surplus of $40.21 billion for the month versus expectations of $35 billion in November after October's $38.185 billion. Despite the overall strength of the November data, imports could come under pressure as China's economy cools, analysts say. "Chinese trade looks to have been surprisingly strong last month. We expect exports to continue to perform well in the coming months on the back of strong global demand", Capital Economics China economist Julian Evans-Pritchard wrote in a note. "However, we are skeptical that the strength of imports can be sustained given that the delayed impact of policy tightening and a cooling property market are set to weigh on Chinese demand for commodities in coming quarters".

China exports growth hits eight-month high, imports defy pollution curbs

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