URUMQI, Feb. 26 -- A new city under the direct administration of the regional government and built by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) was formally opened on Wednesday in far-west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Situated near China-Kazakhstan border, Shuanghe is the seventh urban center built since the XPCC was established 60 years ago. The other six cities or towns are Shihezi, Wujiaqu, Alaer, Tumushuke, Beitun and Tiemenguan.

The XPCC maintains military structural titles such as divisions and regiments, and has its own administrative and judicial bodies. It now has over 4,000 enterprises and a total population of more than 2.45 million.

XPCC Commander Liu Xinqi said Shuanghe will become an important gateway city for China in the forging of economic ties with Eurasian countries.

The Silk Road Economic Belt that links cities in western provinces has much potential to promote economic relationships and trade in the region, said Liu Yilei, deputy secretary general of the XPCC.

In a speech in Kazakhstan last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed establishing a Silk Road Economic Belt, a modernized version of the ancient Silk Road of more than 2,000 years ago.

Relying on the highways, railways, gas pipelines and airways that link China and Central Asia, Shuanghe City is expected to become a regional processing production base, a commodity distributing center, an imported energy corridor and a significant trade center, said Jin Junbiao of the Shuanghe City government, which currently governs about 50,000 residents.x "The Silk Road Economic Belt will bring a valuable opportunity for Shuanghe City by introducing more talents, amassing more population and fostering new sources of economic growth," Jin said.