The SAFE recently released the formal data on China 's Balance of Payments Statement for the first quarter of 2012. In Q1 of 2012 the current account and the capital and financial account posted a “twin surplus” and international reserves maintained a growing momentum.

In Q1 of 2012, the surplus under the current account reached USD23.5 billion. Specifically, according to the statistical coverage of the balance of payments, the surpluses in goods, income, and current transfers reached USD21.9 billion, USD17.3 billion, and USD2.5 billion, respectively, whereas the deficit in trade in services amounted to USD18.1 billion.

Meanwhile, China 's surplus under the capital and financial account totaled USD56.1 billion in the first quarter of this year. In particular, net inflows of direct investments and portfolio investments amounted to USD48.9 billion and USD 9.3 billion respectively and outflows of other investments reached USD3.5 billion.

China ’s international reserve assets from transactions increased by USD74.6 billion. Specifically, foreign exchange reserve assets registered an increase of USD74.8 billion (exclusive of the influence of factors due to non-transaction changes in value, such as exchange rates, prices, etc.), the reserve position in the IMF registered a decrease of USD400 million, and special drawing rights registered an increase of USD200 million.