Chinese trade surplus increases by 16%.

China's trade surplus widened to a larger-than-expected $32B in October from $27.7B in September, helped by an 11.6% annual gain in exports and a weaker-than-expected 2.4% increase in imports. Political tensions showed up in the numbers as imports from Japan slumped 10.1%. Exports to the U.S. rose 9.1%, while those to recession-wracked Europe declined 8%.