Trade, tourism boost growth momentum of Chinese economy

China-Europe freight trains carrying goods line up at the border port of Khorgos in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (ZHAO GE/XINHUA)

Imports and exports going through key transportation hubs in China have witnessed growth during the first half of the year, boosting the Chinese economy together with an increasingly hot tourism market, CCTV.com reported on Sunday.

As the most important transportation hub between China and Central Asia and Central Europe, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region registered a total foreign trade volume of 185.64 billion yuan ($25.54 billion) from Jan to May this year, up 52.1 percent on a yearly basis, ranking second in terms of growth rate nationwide.

Alashankou Port and Khorgos Port in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are the two most important railway ports to Central Asia and Europe in China, with more than 40 percent of China-Europe freight trains passing through these two ports. This year, the number of China-Europe (or China-Asia) freight trains passing through these two ports exceeds 40 daily.

In the first half of 2024, 7,746 China-Europe freight train trips passed through the Alashankou and Khorgos ports, an increase of 8.2 percent year-on-year, the report said.

Trailers and dump trucks are ready to be exported at Khorgos Land Port of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region of China on July 26, 2023. (Photo/Xinhua)

Nowadays, the category of goods transported at the two ports has increased from the original daily necessities and ores to more than 200 kinds, including wood, chemicals, machineries, cotton yarn, building materials, new energy vehicles, and electronic products.

In recent years, home-made new energy vehicles have become popular overseas, and cars from Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, and other places are exported to Central Asia, Europe, and other regions via Alashankou and Khorgos ports, providing strong support for promoting the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Foreign tourists browse local handicrafts in Longsheng, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in July. (Photo/Xinhua)

With the arrival of graduation season and summer vacation, the tourism market around China is also ushering in the summer peak season. With the expansion of China's visa-free countries, the number of foreign tourists entering the country has increased significantly.

The latest data show that during the summer rush from July 1 to Aug 31, the number of air ticket bookings from various provinces and regions in China to and from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region increased by about 27 percent compared with the same period in 2023.

As an important transportation hub in East China, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport currently operates more than 30 international (regional) passenger routes, serving 21 countries on four continents, and more than 500 inbound and outbound passenger flights per week.