Urumqi bonded area to drive trade

By Li Xiaoxu ( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2015-09-25

Urumqi bonded area to drive trade

Urumqi officials take part in the ground-breaking ceremony of Urumqi bonded area. [Photo/uetd.gov.cn]

Urumqi's Economic and Technological Development Zone, in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region held a ground-breaking ceremony for its comprehensive bonded area on Sept 19. The construction is expected to be completed by July 20, 2016.

Located in the northwest of Urumqi, the bonded area will cover 2.41 square km and be adjacent to the a railway distribution center in Urumqi, now under construction.

The bonded area will be in charge of bonded processing and logistics, and is expected to become a center of finances, modern trade and high-end manufacturing for Asia and Europe, said Xue Jihai, the head of Economic and Technological Development Zone, who was at the ceremony.

Urumqi bonded area to drive trade

Xue Jihai, the head of Economic and Technological Development Zone addresses the ground-breaking ceremony of bonded area in Urumqi, in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Sept 19. [Photo/uetd.gov.cn]

"The preparations for the bonded area were completed within two months since the State Council approved the project on July 20", Xue added.

Xue said that the bonded area will facilitate cooperation between Urumqi and cities along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, in Northwest China, is one of the hubs of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

With the opening-up strategy along the border, 17 first-class ports have been approved in Xinjiang and a bonded area has been set in Kashgar city. The Urumqi bonded area is expected to enhance custom supervision and trade in Xinjiang.

Edited by Andrew Ancheta