Kashgar Fair Opens: Xinjiang’s Comprehensive Economic Power Continues to Grow
- TaCaS Global
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
Photo: Independent Turkish
Mr. Serdar Kulu, a partner of TaCaS Global, participated in the event alongside executives from Ülker Group.
Xinjiang, located in northwestern China at the heart of the Eurasian continent, covers an area of 1,664,900 square kilometers. It borders eight countries—Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India—with a land boundary stretching more than 5,700 km. It is China’s largest provincial-level administrative region, with the greatest number of neighboring countries and the longest land border.
Xinjiang’s comprehensive economic power continues to grow. In 2023, its regional GDP reached 1.9 trillion yuan (approx. 265 Billion USD) , a 6.8% increase compared with the previous year. Based on its resources, geographical location, and industrial foundation, the region has been improving its innovation system, creating “eight major industrial clusters,” and building a modern industrial structure with regional characteristics and advantages. Notable sectors include petroleum and natural gas, chemical industries, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and renewable energy.
In 2023, the added value of large-scale industrial enterprises increased by 6.4%, while foreign trade turnover surged by 45.9%, opening new opportunities for Xinjiang globally. The region welcomed 265 million tourists (a 117% increase), generating 296.7 billion yuan in tourism revenue. Significant breakthroughs and investments have also been seen in Urumqi and Kashgar.
The Urumqi International Dry Port is expanding. The comprehensive capacity of transportation hubs in Khorgos, Alashankou, Kashgar, and Shihezi is growing, with a China-Europe train formation center under construction and an improved central transportation system. Since 2017, a total of 8,061 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train journeys have been made, including 1,517 in 2023. The region hosts 20 state-approved open ports, including 17 land and 3 air ports. The “Alashankou” and “Khorgos” ports integrate rail, road, and pipeline transportation.
Participation from 40 Countries and Regions
Amidst all these developments, on August 15 the 15th Kashgar Central and South Asia Commodity Fair (Kashgar Fair) opened at the Kashgar International Convention and Exhibition Center under the theme “Connectivity, Mutual Assistance, and Shared Benefits – Joint Consultation, Joint Contribution, and Shared Gains.”
This year’s event attracted 1,120 domestic enterprises and 181 foreign companies from 40 countries and regions.
The exhibition areas focus on cutting-edge fields such as digital technology, aerospace information, new energy, and high-quality agricultural and livestock products, while systematically showcasing Kashgar’s achievements in the “Ten Key Industries” across three main sections: investment cooperation, international trade, and domestic trade.
During the fair, 10 industrial conferences, 1 investment promotion conference, 2 trade and investment forums, and 5 cultural exchange events will be held. On opening day, media representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other countries were present.
Followed by Independent Turkish Editor-in-Chief Nevzat Çiçek, the fair—since its founding in 2005—has attracted 38,000 enterprises from 56 countries and regions, with total transactions exceeding 480 billion yuan. It has become a fundamental platform connecting Central and South Asia, as well as a flagship project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Independent Turkish
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