MANILA: Copper futures jumped on Wednesday after Reuters reported that China's total exports surged in May, showing the economic strength of the world's top consumer of the metal. Chinese exports grew about 50 per cent in May from a year earlier, sources said ahead of the release of official data on Thursday, much bigger than market expectations. The numbers breathed new life into equity and commodity markets that have been pummelled by worries over a spreading debt crisis in Europe. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose $70.25 to $6,235.25 a tonne at 0705 GMT, extending a $65 rise from Tuesday which was its first gain in seven sessions. LME copper may prolong its rebound to touch $6,318 per tonne after breaching $6,210, market analyst Wang Tao said. Market players await a speech later in the day by European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet ahead of an ECB meeting on Thursday, where the bank could announce plans to offer extra funds to banks to ease strains from the euro zone's debt crisis. "A lot of people are still pretty worried about the situation in Europe, whether it's going to be an even bigger problem than it is now," said Judy Zhu, commodity analyst at Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai. LME copper has lost more than 22 per cent since hitting this year's high above $8,000 in April, pounded by Europe's credit crisis and fears of slower demand from China. "Markets are still lacking any monumental news that could turn the bearish mindset around," said MF Global analyst Edward Meir. "More importantly, investors clearly seem to be concluding that slowing growth will now follow the asset price implosion we have seen hit the equity and commodity mark

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