China's exports rebounded in January from a contraction late last year amid trade tensions with Washington, but imports declined.

Customs data on Thursday showed exports rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to $217.6 billion, an improvement from December's 3.5 percent contraction. Imports declined 1.5 percent to $178.4 billion.

Chinese exports to the United States have been squeezed by President Donald Trump's tariff hike in a dispute over Beijing's technology ambitions.

U.S. and Chinese negotiators began talks Thursday that Trump says will help decide whether he allows another tariff hike on $200 billion of imports from China to go ahead March 2.