Bonded exhibition and trading center in Urumqi, NW China's Xinjiang, links local customers with global markets

Muyim Eziz, a local resident of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, displays a product she bought at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuheng)

Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center, located in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has become a shopping hub connecting global goods with Chinese consumers, attracting a steady stream of shoppers.

"This place offers a wide range of products at reasonable prices, allowing us to buy specialty goods from around the world without traveling far," said Muyim Eziz, a resident of Urumqi.

As an important innovation and entrepreneurship incubation base of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the China (Urumqi) cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone, the center features an 11,600-square-meter exhibition hall and supporting bonded warehousing facilities and provides more than 20,000 product varieties from over 80 countries.

It has established themed national pavilions showcasing specialty products from countries around the world, particularly Belt and Road countries.

"Bonded, quality-assured, and authentic — these are the principles that guide our center," said Ding Guochong, chairman of Xinjiang Zhongzhi Digital Technology Co., Ltd., which operates the center.

Beyond serving as a marketplace for imported goods, the center also functions as a product sourcing hub for Chinese products destined for Central Asian markets, according to Ding.

Urumqi's geographical advantage provides strong support for the center's development.

Backed by the China-Europe freight train consolidation station at the Sanping Railway Station in Urumqi's Toutunhe district, as well as international road transport under the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) system and air cargo routes, the center enables goods to efficiently reach Central Asia and Europe.

The center is also developing overseas warehouses in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Once operational, the facilities will help deliver more than 100 Chinese alcoholic beverage brands and Xinjiang specialty agricultural products directly to Central Asian markets.

The platform goes beyond simply exhibiting and selling products. It extends along the industrial and value chains by integrating trade, new product launches, cross-border e-commerce incubation, and cross-border livestreaming operations to create a comprehensive gateway for international commerce.

To overcome challenges such as language barriers and time differences in cross-border trade, the center has innovatively introduced AI-powered digital human livestreamers for cross-border livestreaming.

The system supports 32 languages and uses dedicated network lines for cross-border e-commerce livestreaming to promote products to overseas markets, said Ding, who noted that the center has also provided training for e-commerce practitioners from seven countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, sharing China's experience in e-commerce operations.

Ding said the center will leverage the favorable policies of the pilot free trade zone and the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone and fully tap into its physical exhibition spaces and digital commerce to continuously enrich global product offerings, improve the channels and supply chains for Chinese brands to reach overseas markets, and further facilitate two-way trade.

By combining offline platforms with digital technology-powered livestreaming, the center aims to help Urumqi become a new digital trade gateway connecting Asia and Europe, according to Ding.

A customer shops at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuheng)

Ding Guochong, chairman of Xinjiang Zhongzhi digital technology Co., Ltd., speaks with People's Daily Online journalists. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuheng)

A livestreamer promotes products via livestreaming at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

Foreign e-commerce practitioners receive training at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center)

Customers select products at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

Customers select products at Urumqi Bonded Exhibition and Trading Center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuheng)