Central Asia gets closer, boosts trade

Horgos city of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China is fast emerging as a strategic location economically, riding opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative.

Horgos is near the border with Kazakhstan. And beyond are other central Asian countries. Russia and Belarus are within trading distance, in terms of possibilities of international trade in agri produce and manufactured goods likes robots and fashion via surface transport. Cross-border tourism is increasing too.

So, on a typical morning these days in Horgos, you can see truck drivers from Kazakhstan busy loading apples, tomatoes and peppers onto trucks. By next morning, the fruits and vegetables will appear in supermarkets and fruit stands in neighboring countries.