The outlook for China's exports is uncertain for the rest of the year, and the government needs to keep policies flexible to maintain stable export growth, Gao Hucheng, a vice commerce minister, told a news conference on Tuesday.

China's exports rose 17.9 percent in June from a year ago, slowing from a 19.4 percent rise in May and pointing to the weakness in overseas demand that has seen exports and new orders soften across most of Asia.