China's foreign trade is expected to increase by around 6 percent year on year in 2012, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said Friday.

The growth will be slower than the annual target of 10 percent set by the government, a figure that officials have conceded will be hard to achieve.

Chen's projection was consistent with the 5.8 percent year-on-year rise in the country's foreign trade in the first 11 months of the year, as the global downturn has impacted the world's largest exporter.

Next year, the ministry will accelerate restructuring to stabilize foreign trade growth, especially that of exports, by expanding channels for trade financing and facilitating export credit insurance.

To encourage imports, China will increase imports of energy and resource products, advanced technical equipment and key components.

He also estimated that China's use of foreign direct investment will reach about 110 billion US dollars this year. That will represent a decline from 116.01 billion US dollars in 2011.

Chen said China's outbound direct investment in non-financial sectors will stand at 70 billion US dollars, exceeding last year's 68.58 billion US dollars.

Chen said the government will create more preferential policies next year to encourage foreign investors to invest in central and west China, as well as welcome multinational companies to set up R &D centers and regional headquarters in China.

Chinese companies will also be encouraged to accelerate their overseas expansion and position their prime industries globally.