The imports and exports of Binjiang district in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, in 2021 stood at 108.8 billion yuan ($17.18 billion), up by 35 percent year-on-year, according to statistics recently released by the Binjiang commerce bureau.

The exports reached 73.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent, and the imports amounted to 35.4 billion yuan, up by 37 percent year-on-year.

Officials attributed the growth to the internationalization-oriented development path that the district has long followed.

As the first national high-tech zone in Zhejiang, Binjiang renews its policies each year to support companies to strengthen their capabilities in development and research, as well as in exploring the international market.

Last year, about 1,400 companies in Binjiang registered imports or exports, up 245 from the previous year. Their exports to the EU and US expanded by 30 percent year-on-year.