Xinjiang set to lead regional trade boom

Being the core of the ancient Silk Road, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been nurtured by unity and mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, inclusiveness and mutual learning, and win-win cooperation, spirits that were at the heart of the historic trade route.

President Xi Jinping proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt in September 2013, and in March this year the Chinese government released an action plan to implement the initiative, which intends to make Xinjiang an important window for China's opening-up to the West. Xinjiang connects two 1.3-billion-people markets to its East and West, and has the potential to become a vital transport hub in Eurasia after the Silk Road Economic Belt becomes a reality.

Xinjiang, an inclusive intersection of Chinese, Indian, Persian and Greek civilizations, is today home to many ethnic groups, cultures and religions. It is thus a potential trade partner for regions in Eurasia, and Central and South Asia.