Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Song Weiguo) news: On November 4, 2023, workers were busy loading boxes of goods onto containers at the entrance of the warehouse of Kashgar Zhongshun E-commerce Co., Ltd. These goods will go through the customs clearance process at Irkeshtam Port and be shipped to the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.

The phone keeps ringing in the hands of Zhang Qi, general manager of Kashgar Zhongshun E-commerce Co., Ltd. Recently, he was busy applying for international cargo flights to West Asia. Once his request is approved, the company he works for will be able to sell the goods from Xinjiang and even the whole country to the broader global market.

Photo taken on November 4, 2023 shows workers load goods outside the warehouse of Zhongshun E-commerce Co., Ltd., in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Song Weiguo)

“On November 1, 2023, an unveiling ceremony for China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone was held in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and we firmly believe that it will bring brighter future to Kashgar," Zhang Qi said.

The business of Zhongshun E-commerce Co., Ltd. continues to expand, and the number of employees in the company has expanded from the initial 6 to more than 100 now, which vividly showcases the rapid development of foreign trade in Kashgar Prefecture.

In the first three quarters of this year, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports in Kashgar exceeded 61 billion yuan (about 8.39 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 89.7 percent year-on-year. And both the total volume and growth rate ranked first in Xinjiang; the countries or regions with which Kashgar carries out trade transactions reached 128, with the BRI participating countries accounting for more than 90 percent. The comprehensive ranking of Kashgar Comprehensive Bonded Zone has long ranked first in Xinjiang, realizing great progress from ranking 125th in 2020 to 29th in China.

With the Belt and Road Initiative and the launch of China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Kashgar is accelerating its transformation from "channel economy" to "industrial economy".

Wang Chuanjie, secretary of the Party Committee and director of Kashgar Customs, said that since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward ten years ago, the scale of foreign trade in Kashgar has been expanding, and the total volume of imports and exports to the BRI participating countries has increased from 11.71 billion yuan (about 1.61 billion U.S. dollars) in 2013 to 46.32 billion yuan (about 6.37 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022.

In Kashgar Comprehensive Bonded Zone, more and more enterprises and people are gotting benefits. Kashgar Hongyu Hengtong International Freight Forwarders Co., Ltd. sells new energy vehicles made in China to the Central Asian market. Li Ruijing, a local resident of Kashgar, brought her family to buy imported goods from all over the world in a cross-border e-commerce import and export commodities exhibition and trading center in the comprehensive bonded zone in Kashgar Prefecture.

This year, more than 70 foreign trade enterprises in Kashgar Prefecture actively "go global" to explore the international market, and have received over a hundred foreign trade orders of 2.5 billion yuan (about 343.75 million U.S. dollars).

In order to ensure the timely delivery of these overseas orders, Kashgar Customs, Commerce Bureau of Kashgar Prefecture and other units worked together to send the goods out of the country in an efficient, fast and convenient manner.

Kashgar Prefecture has launched more than 20 detailed programs, to ensure access to all government services through a single portal and pursue the Cut Certification to Create Convenience reform initiative, with a total of 145 cases each dealt with in an efficient manner,without the need for a second visit. The efficiency of all types of business entities in Kashgar Prefecture has improved significantly.

"Kashgar, standing at the forefront of China's opening up to the west, will bring the glory of the ancient Silk Road and the splendor of the 'new Silk Road' to the world and continue to create new legends." Anwar Tursun, deputy secretary of the Kashgar Prefecture Party Committee and commissioner of Kashgar Prefecture, said.

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