The value of Chinese exports to Germany continued to rise sharply in June, while imports from Europe's largest economy grew only slightly, data from China's customs authority showed on Tuesday.

Exports to Germany, measured in US dollars, increased 27.2% from a year earlier, while imports from Germany rose by just 3.1%.

The trend was also evident over the first half of the year. Chinese exports to Germany climbed 19% compared with the same period a year earlier, while imports from Germany increased only 1.8%.

China exported goods worth $67.5 billion to Germany in the first six months of the year, while imports from Germany totalled $45.2 billion. This left Germany with a trade deficit of $22.3 billion with China.

Germany had long benefited from China's economic rise, selling cars, machinery and specialized technology to the world's second-largest economy. But the relationship has shifted in recent years, with Chinese companies increasingly offering technologically advanced products at competitive prices on global markets.

The development has fuelled political debate in Germany and Europe over how to respond to growing competition from China.