Horgos: a future robot export base in China

URUMQI - A Chinese robot manufacturer is making China's new border city with Kazakhstan its export base, hoping Horgos will provide convenience in trade.

Horgos Boshihao Electronic, a firm registered in southern China's city of Shenzhen, has been ramping up construction of its robot production workshop in Horgos and expects to start production in May.

Min Jianbo, general manager of the company, said the plant in Horgos has been designed with an annual production capacity of 10,000 robot units with 80 percent service robots and 20 percent industrial robots.

Dubbed the first new city on the Silk Road under China's Belt and Road initiative, Horgos was set up in 2014 and is positioned on the furthest fringe of western China. The area once thrived on the ancient Silk Road connecting trade between Europe and Asia.

The railway port in Horgos was opened in 2016 for cross-border railway transportation.

Min said exports from Horgos go to Europe through China-Europe train services and can save 10 days and one-third of costs on average per trip compared with shipping.

After the plant is complete, Boshihao plans to establish an electronic industrial park in Horgos in the next five to ten years to attract supporting industries in the research and development of electronic products.

Boshihao's service robots are able to replace human labor in nursing and education-related duties. Prices range from 5,000 yuan ($721) to 200,000 yuan, with industrial robots priced between 100,000 yuan to 1 million yuan.

The company is looking at export markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia.