BEIJING (REUTERS) - China must make strong efforts this year to keep foreign trade stable and improving, the country's top economic planner said on Monday (March 5) in a work report at the opening of the annual meeting of Parliament.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also said outbound direct investment would be developed in an "orderly manner" this year, while foreign direct investment was likely to be basically stable.

It forecast retail sales would grow around 10 per cent this year from last year, and pledged to continue to drive a raft of reforms, including mixed ownership of state-owned enterprises and deleveraging.