The jump in exports was the first rise since June last year as the sector has been battered by slowing demand and slumping commodity prices.
For the year, exports fell 1.8%, while imports tumbled 13.2% from 2014.
China's customs spokesman Huang Songping said at a news conference in Beijing that the country's exports fell last year due to weak external demand.
Trade figures in US dollar-denominated terms came out later in the day and were also better-than-expected. Exports fell 1.4%, compared to forecasts of an 8% fall, while imports declined 7.6% against expectations of an 11.5% decline.