Urumqi customs data shows Central Asia as the largest trading partner for China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR). In 2023, trade turnover surged by 50%, accounting for a remarkable 79.4% of XUAR’s total foreign trade volume, Xinhua reports.
Trade with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, XUAR’s top three partners, increased by 70.8%, 25.8%, and 93.4%, respectively.
Furthermore, cross-border connectivity between XUAR and Central Asia strengthened significantly. Active use of automobile and railway checkpoints led to increases of 52.5% and 44.5% in trade turnover, respectively. Notably, road transport accounted for 90% of trade, while rail contributed 95.1%.
2023 marked a historical high for XUAR’s overall foreign trade, surpassing 350 billion yuan for the first time and amounting to 357 billion yuan (about 50.25 billion U.S. dollars). With a 45.9% year-on-year growth, XUAR ranked second nationwide in terms of growth rate.
Positive forecasts anticipate continued trade expansion in 2024. The establishment of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone and XUAR’s active role in the Belt and Road Initiative further bolster this optimism.
Border crossings connecting XUAR and Central Asia include Khorgos, Alashankou (Kazakhstan), Kulma (Tajikistan), Torugart, and Irkeshtam (Kyrgyzstan). ///nCa, 29 January 2024