URUMQI (TCA) — Textile and garment exports to Central Asia and Russia via dry ports in China’s western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have increased by more than 60 percent from the same period last year, Xinhua reported on July 3.
China has exported 16.57 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion US dollars) worth of textiles and garments through ports in Xinjiang, according to the latest statistics released by the Urumqi Customs.
The data show that 70 percent of exports went to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Following the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative and regional economic development, Xinjiang, which borders eight countries and boasts 29 national dry ports, has grown into a trading hub for Chinese garments, shoes, and daily necessities.
Last month, the railway port of Khorgos was officially opened in Xinjiang on the border with Kazakhstan.
Khorgos railway port began a restricted-operating period in 2012, and now it is fully open and expects a surge in cargo flows.
From December 2012, when a cross-border railway between China and Kazakhstan via Khorgos opened, and until April 2016, the import and export via the railway port of Khorgos totaled $4 billion, Xinhua reported.
The increased cargo and passenger flow through Khorgos will play a positive role in trade relations between China and Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe, according to Chinese officials.
