BEIJING -- China increased the value of its exports of mechanical and electronic products to $1.18 trillion in 2012, taking up a greater share of the global market, according to new data.

Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Yaoping said on Thursday that the 8.7-percent year-on-year growth brought the global share achieved by products from China to 16.1 percent in the first 11 months of last year, up 0.9 percentage points from 2011.

The combined import and export volume of the products rose 6.7 percent year on year to $1.96 trillion, he said.

Exports of mechanical and electronic products, accounting for 57.6 percent of China's total exports, reached more than 230 countries and regions in the world and grabbed 29.1 percent of market share in emerging economies, Jiang added.

He advised enterprises to strengthen efforts in research and development and improve market diversification to fend off rising protectionism amid a sluggish global economic recovery.

2012 was the 18th consecutive year in which the mechanical and electronic sector has been China's number-one exporter in trade volume.