China's trade surplus narrowed month-on-month in February to $15.3 billion, the customs department said Friday, in a month with fewer working days because of the Lunar New Year holiday. In January, China had recorded a trade surplus of $29.2 billion as the country maintained its economic recovery on improving demand. The February surplus was still a major surprise, with the median forecast of 13 economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires predicting a deficit of $16 billion.

China will sharply boost renewable energy this year, it said Tuesday, after repeated bouts of heavy pollution across much of the country heightened public anger on the issue over recent weeks. The country plans to increase hydropower generating capacity by 21 million kilowatts this year, wind by 18 million kilowatts and solar energy by 10 million kilowatts, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a report.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao gave his last major political speech on Tuesday after overseeing a decade of blistering economic growth, but failing to close a yawning wealth gap or make major political reforms. China's achievements during his tenure include its first manned spaceflight, developing the world's largest high-speed rail network, strengthening the military and hosting Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games.

Asian markets climbed Tuesday following a big sell-off in the previous session and as traders took heart from a rally on Wall Street that saw the Dow close within sight of a record high. Shanghai failed to make noticeable inroads into Monday's huge losses as China's annual parliamentary gathering kicked off, where outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao outlined the country's economic targets for the year. Tokyo added 0.75 percent by the break, Hong Kong rose 0.42 percent, Sydney was 1.48 percent higher, Shanghai was up 0.62 percent and Seoul advanced 0.56 percent.