The trade balance of the exporting giant, China has weakened by $31.5 billion, resulting in the largest deficit in at least a decade in the month of February sparking concerns of a slowing economy.

The country's import grew 39.6 percent in February this year compared to the same month in 2011. The growth rate was much higher than the expected 27 percent and more than double the rate of growth for the exports from the country.

Experts say that the data might not represent a trend as the imports were hiked due to the frenzied buying due to the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. Chinese exports posted one of their lowest month-on-month growth rates since more than a decade.

Analysts polled by Reuters have recommended combining the data of January and febraury for make better analysis as there were Lunar New Year distortions.

Commerce Minister Chen Deming had said on Wednesday that the value of imports and exports in January and February combined recorded a growth of about 7 percent. The Chinese government is aiming at a growth rate of 10 per cent for both imports and exports.