BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China will adjust the growth pattern in foreign trade from simply expanding the volume to improving structural quality, China's new commerce minister Zhong Shan said on Friday.

The Ministry of Commerce will make further efforts to strengthen China's role as a big trading nation and push for its increasing prowess in the sector, Zhong said on the sidelines of the fifth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

China's foreign trade has stabilized and returned to growth in recent months, but concerns are looming on rising trade protectionism in some countries that is likely to bring uncertainties to the outlook.

In a good start to 2017, China's foreign trade reached 2.18 trillion yuan (about 316.4 billion U.S. dollars) in January, up 19.6 percent year on year.

Last year, total export and import value decreased 0.9 percent year on year to 24.33 trillion yuan, narrowing down from a 7 percent decline in 2015.

Zhong was appointed commerce minister to replace Gao Hucheng last month.