Urumqi supports trade initiative

The capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is looking to regain its former glory as a trade hub, thanks to the proposed Silk Road Economic Belt. Liu Jing and Cui Jia report.

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of special reports to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Over the coming weeks, China Daily will brings its readers in-depth stories about the lives of the people who live in China's "wild west", outlining their aspirations and concerns, and the changes in the region over the past six decades.

Set against the snowcapped Bogda Peak in the distance, construction cranes dot the skyline of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Workers are busy unloading piles of building materials from trucks, and the construction site for the city's new high-speed rail terminus - which will be operational by the end of this year, and have a daily passenger flow of 115,000 by 2020 - thumps and vibrates all day long.