Xinjiang-themed trade fair boosts China-Uzbekistan exchanges, cooperation

TASHKENT, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A trade fair featuring commodities from China's Xinjiang concluded here on Wednesday in Uzbekistan's capital, providing opportunities for economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

The 12th Uzbekistan-China Xinjiang Commodities Expo gathered over 100 enterprises from China and covered an exhibition area of more than 5,000 square meters.

The three-day event boasted a larger number of exhibitors and a more extensive exhibition space compared to previous years, according to the Xinjiang subcommittee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, organizer of the exhibition, adding that it served as a platform for in-depth communication and aimed to further motivate enterprises from both countries.

As the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been experiencing a significant boost in its foreign trade and closer economic and trade ties with Central Asian countries.

According to Urumqi customs, the region's foreign trade increased by 65.2 percent to 149.62 billion yuan (about 20.43 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of the year, marking a decade-high milestone.

At the exhibition, Hu Jian with Xinjiang Ba Yi Iron &Steel Co., Ltd. was seen busy introducing the products on display while collecting information from potential business partners.

"The market demand here is robust. Our company headquarters plans to build a factory here in October to produce our best-selling products directly at our market," he said.

Having been engaged in international trade for more than 10 years, Zhang Sixin, chairman of a transport company based in the port city of Alashankou, said that it is time to build offshore warehouses for cross-border e-commerce in Uzbekistan.

"People here have embraced online shopping, and the construction of overseas warehouses will significantly enhance the effectiveness of foreign trade with the country and improve the logistics," he said.

"We plan to open a shop in Tashkent to promote our tea and our culture," said Yan Manchao, who comes from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, expressing expectations to achieve breakthroughs in foreign trade by leveraging Xinjiang's advantageous location and open platform.

In an interview with Xinhua, Ikhtiyor Niyazmuradov, commercial counselor of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in China, said that Xinjiang plays a vital role in strengthening the bond between China and Central Asian countries in terms of policies, facilities, trade, funds and people-to-people exchanges.

"As a bridge, Xinjiang not only enables more and more high-quality Uzbek goods, including agricultural products, to enter China but also facilitates the transfer of China's advanced technology and expertise to Central Asia," he said.

The continuous cooperation in the field of trade will foster the development of the two countries, thus leading to mutual benefit and win-win results, he added.