Beijing - Chinese officials on Friday said they saw some signs of economic recovery after the impact of the global financial crisis but had prepared contingency plans amid "great uncertainty."

"There are already signs of recovery, including a rebound of consumption, investment and some product prices," Zhang Ping, China's chief economic planner, told reporters.

The government would consider adding to its 4-trillion-yuan (585- billion-dollar) stimulus package depending on global financial developments, Zhang said on the sidelines of the annual National People's Congress (NPC), China's nominal parliament.

Zhang's remarks came as the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper quoted an unidentified trade official as saying China's monthly exports and imports both fell by 20 per cent year-on-year in February.

China's monthly trade surplus for February dropped to about 7 billion dollars, down from 29 billion dollars last year, the newspaper reported.

Asked whether China might allow its currency to depreciate to support trade and economic growth, Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the central bank, said it would not announce any plans until it was clearer on how the financial crisis would unfold in Western nations.

"We have to make multiple plans and analyze various scenarios since there is obviously great uncertainty on their side," Zhou said.

He said China would keep its policy of maintaining the exchange rate of its currency "basically stable at an appropriate and balanced level."

Zhou said the government's broad strategy was to "act faster and take more forceful measures" to bolster confidence in the economy.

"We have learned lessons from some countries that once the confidence dips, it needs a fairly long time to restore," he said.

In his speech at the opening of the nine-day NPC session on Thursday, Premier Wen Jiabao issued a rallying call to tackle the "arduous and formidable" tasks of reinvigorating China's faltering economic growth this year. (dpa)