Dec exports 9.8 yryr vs Nov 0.2
Dec trade surplus 62.1 bln yen vs forecast deficit 122.1 bln yen
Chinabound shipments rise for first time in 13 months
Shipments to the United States hit record

TOKYO, Jan 24 Reuters Japan39;s exports surged to record highs in December, with shipments to the U.S. soaring to their strongestever level while those to China were also robust, logging their first rise in more than a year.

The betterthanexpected data comes at a time of heightened concern about a faltering economic recovery in China and its potential to drag on the global economy.

Exports from the world39;s thirdlargest economy climbed 9.8 to 9.65 trillion yen 65.1 billion last month from the same period a year earlier, finance ministry data showed on Wednesday.

That beat a consensus estimate of 9.1 from economists in a Reuters poll and followed a 0.2 contraction in November.

Economists said, however, that it was unclear whether Japan39;s lacklustre economy which has seen factory activity shrink for eight straight months could bank on a sustainable boost from a recovery in exports.

Exports were strong but it might only be a bounceback after the fall in November. The pace of economic growth in the U.S. and Europe seems to be slowing a bit and China has only just bottomed out so any recovery in exports is likely to be a weak one, said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.

Exports to China Japan39;s biggest trading partner climbed 9.6 to…