Build a port economic belt to promote high-quality development – Scan of Xinjiang port development – Finance – China Engineering Network

Original title: Building a port economic belt to promote high-quality development—Scanning the development of Xinjiang ports

Xinhua News Agency, Urumqi, November 11

Xinhua News Agency reporter

Viewed from a high altitude, Xinjiang is like a piece of beautiful jade, with ports like Horgos, Alashankou, Khunjerab, and Turgat… each one inlaid like pearls. As the province with the most open ports in the country, Xinjiang strives to build a port economic belt and shows strong development vitality.

Business travel never ends

On November 6, police from the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station of the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station inspected inbound vehicles at the national gate. Published by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Wang Zhilong)

Walking into Khunjerab Port, there is snow all around the country gate, and vehicles are rushing back and forth. Since the resumption of passenger customs clearance on April 3, 2023, the inbound and outbound passenger flow at Khunjerab Port has continued to rise. Currently, the number of inbound and outbound passengers has exceeded 40,000, setting a new historical record.

At the joint inspection hall of Khunjerab Port, Pakistani businessman Hussain Basit completed the exit formalities and was waiting to take the international road passenger shuttle bus. Here, there are many foreign merchants like him, carrying large and small bags of department stores. “Clothes, shoes, hats, bedding, and small household appliances are very popular among consumers in Pakistan.” Hussein, who has been engaged in trade between China and Pakistan for many years, said, “This year, the number of purchases has increased, almost every week. Come, it’s getting more and more convenient.”

On November 6, at the joint inspection hall of the Khunjerab Port in Xinjiang, police from the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station handled border inspection procedures for outbound passengers.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Lei

During the third “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum, China and Pakistan issued a joint press statement, announcing that the Khunjerab Port will be open all year round, which will play a more important role in promoting economic and trade exchanges and cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan.

200 kilometers north from Khunjerab Port, there stands the Karasu Port connecting China and Tajikistan. Fariza Melalisoyeva and her mother Zamila Saidmirzoeva are preparing to leave the country. Before that, they entered the country through Karasu Port and visited Urumqi and Kashgar in Xinjiang.

“The natural features here are different from my hometown. It is very beautiful and has unique cultural customs.” Fariza said.

On November 6, the Karasu Port in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang (drone photo).Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Lei

On November 6, Fariza Melalisoyeva shared her feelings about her trip to Xinjiang with reporters.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Lei

At the Baktu Port in Tacheng area, large trucks loaded with imported sunflower seeds, flour and other commodities slowly entered the country through the country gate. In the shops of the Tacheng Silk Road Cultural Commodity City in the Border Mutual Market, there is a dazzling array of imported honey, candies, daily necessities and other commodities.

The reporter recently walked along the Xinjiang port and truly experienced the grand scene of “continuous business travel”.

On November 7, tourists purchased goods at the Silk Road Cultural Commodity City of the China-Kazakhstan Border Mutual Market at Baktu Port.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gou Lifeng

Customs clearance, quality and efficiency improvement

To the northwest of Urumqi, 700 kilometers away, the sixth-generation national gate stands majestically, facing the morning light, a group of people enter the country.

At that time, the land ports were equally busy. Cage cars, large trucks, and heavy-duty trucks loaded with cars drove out of the Horgos customs supervision area and were transported to Kazakhstan and other “Belt and Road” countries.

In order to facilitate the export of complete vehicles, starting from August 14, the Horgos Highway Port began to implement 24-hour freight customs clearance on a trial basis, becoming the first highway port in Xinjiang to provide 24-hour freight customs clearance. Border inspection, customs and other functional units work closely together to make every effort to ensure that inbound and outbound vehicles can be released as needed, minimizing the time required to organize the transportation of inbound and outbound vehicles.

On November 7, goods and vehicles about to leave the country at the Horgos Highway Port (drone photo).Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

According to statistics from Horgos Customs, 195,000 vehicles were exported from Horgos Port in the first three quarters of this year. Horgos has become the largest land port for automobile exports in the country.

“Customs clearance is now faster, and I come to China every three days to pick up goods,” said Kazakhstan truck driver Salamati Abdelida. “My income has also increased.”

On November 7, domestic cars waiting for export were placed in the warehouse of Asia-Europe International Supply Chain Co., Ltd. in Horgos.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

In recent years, as Xinjiang ports have introduced classified customs clearance policies and launched online public information service platforms, customs clearance speeds have continued to increase.

Urumqi Customs Commissioner Hao Weiming said that in the next step, the “green channel” for rapid customs clearance of agricultural and sideline products at border ports will be promoted, the “port + unloading site” joint supervision model for important mineral products will be implemented, and bonded warehousing of complete vehicles will be established with one inspection and one transportation. The “Three Ones” supervision model for integrated operations.

Promote high-quality development

The end of the year is approaching and the chill is getting stronger. The capacity expansion and renovation project of the Alashankou station changing yard is being stepped up. According to the arrangement of the Xinjiang Railway Department, at the same time as the construction of the second line of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway from Jinghe to Alashankou, four existing stations along the line, including Alashankou Station, will be renovated and expanded, and a comprehensive inspection station will be built at Alashankou Station.

This is the epitome of Xinjiang’s continuous improvement of port carrying capacity. Xinjiang has made great efforts to upgrade and renovate port hardware facilities to “expand” smooth logistics channels, achieve “double improvement” of customs clearance capabilities and customs clearance efficiency, empower the realization of “channel economy”, and lay a good foundation for the development of “port economy” .

On November 4, China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd. Alashankou Station replaced 23 container switching warehouses and the container switching warehouse under construction next to it.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

Urumqi International Dry Port Zone, Kashgar Economic Development Zone, Horgos Economic Development Zone… In recent years, the country has established 55 national key opening platforms and industrial development platforms in 13 categories in Xinjiang, and has given a series of policies and measures . The convergence and integration of various open platforms have provided broader support for building a golden corridor between Asia and Europe and a bridgehead for my country’s westward opening.

On November 1, the China (Xinjiang) Free Trade Pilot Zone was inaugurated. This is the first free trade pilot zone in my country’s northwest border region. Xinjiang has ushered in a new milestone in promoting high-level opening up to the outside world.

Li Xuan, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Autonomous Region’s Department of Commerce, said that the construction of corridors will be strengthened, the construction of China-Europe freight train collection centers will be strengthened, the construction of the China-Central Asia transportation corridor will be promoted, and the construction of the Air Silk Road will be vigorously promoted; the hub function will be enhanced to accelerate the construction of Urumqi land port country Logistics hub, airport-type national logistics hub, national comprehensive freight hub, and Horgos border port-type national logistics hub will further leverage the advantages of Kashgar’s international trade logistics channel.

June 12, Urumqi Railway Port, Urumqi International Dry Port Zone.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Lei

“We will seize the opportunity, deepen mechanism innovation, optimize regulatory services, and promote the construction of the core area of ​​the ‘Belt and Road’.” Wang Chuanjie, director of Kashgar Customs, said that Kashgar’s unique location advantages will be better transformed into open development advantages.

In the future, riding on the high-quality construction of the Xinjiang Free Trade Pilot Zone, the Xinjiang Port Economic Belt will continue to burst out with new vitality. (Reporters Guan Qiaoqiao, Wang Xiaopeng, Zou Duowei, Zhang Yu, Wang Xinyi, Liu Yinglun)