China's exports of cultural products rose 4.9 percent in 2018 from the previous year to $92.53 billion, the Ministry of Commerce said.

Exports of Chinese arts and crafts gained 9.9 percent from one year earlier, while publication exports added 5.9 percent.

Exports to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rose to a record high of $16.29 billion, while exports to BRICS nations and Latin America surged 18.1 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Private enterprises played a bigger role last year, with exports accounting for 55.4 percent of the total, up 2.2 percentage points year on year.

Imports of cultural products jumped 10.3 percent to $9.85 billion last year. The surplus stood at $82.68 billion, up 4.3 percent year on year.

China's trading partners of cultural products became more diverse, with the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Japan as the major markets for cultural products exports from China.