Production of traditional bikes declined while production of electric bikes rose last year in China, the chairman of China Bicycle Association (CBA) told Xinhua in Tianjin Friday.

China produced 76.06 million bicycles in 2009, down 13.2 percent from 2008, which was the largest decrease since 1996, while the country produced 23.69 million electric bicycles in 2009, up by 8.2 percent compared with 2008, said Ma Zhongchao, chairman of CBA, at the 10th China Northern International Bicycle Exposition in Tianjin.

Exports of the two kinds both decreased in 2009, amid the global downturn. The major export markets for Chinese bikes were those in Africa, central Asia and southeast Asia, Ma said.

Only 46.11 million bikes were exported in 2009, down 18.2 percent from 2008, and 404,000 e-bikes were exported, down 31.1 percent.

The industry has been recovering since last December.

In January, more than 4.07 million bikes were exported, up by 21.4 percent comparing with the same period last year, while 39,000 e-bikes were exported, up by 2.8 percent.

China already had more than 140 million e-bikes in use and the producers needed to explore new markets and adjust the products, Ma said.