The Dominican Republic has become the second largest trading partner of China in the Caribbean following Cuba, said Wang Weihua, representative of China's Trade Development Office in the Dominican Republic on Monday.

Dominican exports to China, ranging from scrap iron, rice, tobacco, cacao, coffee to banana, increased some US$100 million in 2007.

Wang said trade between the two nations grew from US$150 million in 2003 to US$614 million in 2007, thanks to the joint efforts of the customs from both countries.

From January to May in 2008, the commercial exchanges between the two countries reached US$281 million, up over 30 percent compared with the same period in 2007, Wang said.

Chinese products exported to the Dominican Republic include machines, cars, motorcycles, textiles, clothes, shoes, toys, among others, Wang said.

China is satisfied with the current trade development with the Dominican Republic and the commercial ties between them tend to grow every year, Wang added.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)