General

The Central Asian region extends from the Caspian Sea to the west, China to the east, Russia to the north, and Iran and Afghanistan to the south. Since ancient times, this has been an important node for cultural exchange between the East and the West.

Thousands of years ago, the sound of camel bells echoed here, and the bright silk connected various civilizations around the world. Thousands of years later, with the sound of sirens resounding and melodious, the "steel camel caravan" not only brings a dazzling variety of goods, but also the sincere longing of people around the world for a better life.

In recent years, economic and trade exchanges between China and the five Central Asian countries have become increasingly close. According to statistical data released by the General Administration of Customs, in the first four months of this year, China's imports and exports with the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) amounted to 173.05 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 37.3%. Among them, in April, the import and export scale exceeded 50 billion yuan for the first time, reaching 50.27 billion yuan.

Today, with the deepening of the construction of the "the Belt and Road", the economic and trade exchanges between China's domestic provinces and the five Central Asian countries are also deepening.

Xinjiang is the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, with close connections and frequent interactions with Central Asian countries. This signing can better leverage their respective advantages, achieve complementary advantages in the industrial chain, supply chain, and logistics chain, and jointly explore the markets of Central Asian countries. Recently, at the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone Regional Economic Cooperation Promotion and Exchange Conference held in Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Zhang Wenwen, General Manager of Chuanhua Shanghe (Qingdao) International Economic and Trade Co., Ltd.

The SCO Demonstration Zone is a pilot area for two-way investment and trade system innovation between China and relevant places of the SCO countries, a gathering area for enterprises to start businesses, and a pilot area for local economic and trade cooperation along the "the Belt and Road".

On May 16th, Chuanhua Shanghe (Qingdao) International Economic and Trade Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Xinjiang China Europe United Logistics Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Anshunda Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. According to the agreement, all parties will jointly build the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone - Central Asian Characteristic Agricultural Product Transportation Corridor project in the future, further opening up logistics transportation channels between China and the five Central Asian countries, and helping more high-quality Central Asian countries to efficiently enter the Chinese market with characteristic agricultural products.

In fact, in recent days, Zhang Wenwen not only needs to coordinate with Xinjiang enterprises on specific project implementation matters, but also has established contacts with a railway operating company and a grain and oil trading company in Kazakhstan through the China Shanghai Cooperation Organization local economic and trade cooperation comprehensive service platform. He wants to negotiate and expand cooperation on the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone Central Asia characteristic agricultural product transportation channel project.

As a representative of one of the enterprises, MANARBEK, the General Manager of Kazakhstan Railway Operation Company, said, "This year, we will enter the Chinese market as an important strategic layout. The Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone Central Asian Characteristic Agricultural Product Transport Corridor project is very in line with the company's development positioning. We are actively promoting and striving to promote the implementation of specific achievements as soon as possible

In addition to the above projects, MANARBEK has also shown strong interest in the Shanghai Cooperation Characteristic Agricultural Products Trading Center project being built by Chuanhua Shanghai Cooperation (Qingdao) International Economic and Trade Co., Ltd. We hope to deepen cooperation with Chuanhua Company to jointly build a Kazakhstan characteristic agricultural product trading center, introduce high-quality characteristic agricultural products such as barley and flaxseed from Kazakhstan to China, and jointly build a China Kazakhstan agricultural product transportation channel to provide efficient logistics services, "MANARBEK said.

As a new platform for China's "the Belt and Road" international cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone has actively promoted economic and trade exchanges with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other five Central Asian countries and countries along the "the Belt and Road" in recent years.

The reporter learned from the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone Management Committee that as of now, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone has opened railway trains between 26 cities in Central Asia. In the first quarter of this year, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone launched 203 China Europe Express (Qilu) trains. Among them, 91 Central Asian directional trains operate, accounting for 44.8% of the total number of trains. Normalize the operation of point-to-point trains from the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone to cities such as Almaty, Tashkent, and Bishkek, radiating major cities in Central Asian countries and driving stable expansion of trade business between enterprises in Shandong Province and surrounding provinces to Central Asian countries.

At the same time, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone also introduced the Uzbekistan National Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange, establishing an integrated trading platform for energy, bulk commodities, industrial raw materials and other fields between China and Uzbekistan, and expanding the interaction and exchange between China and Uzbekistan in the field of digital trade.

In addition, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone has innovated the "dual park, dual zone linkage" model, established liaison offices with Uzbekistan's Pengsheng Industrial Park, and opened the "Shanghai Cooperation Express" Pengsheng Industrial Park special train from Qingdao, China to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's China Europe Express (Qilu); The two sides signed a memorandum of friendly cooperation with the free economic zone of Jizak and carried out practical cooperation in investment and trade, logistics cooperation, industrial docking and other fields.

At the Qingdao Shanghai Cooperation Pearl International Expo Center, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone has set up exhibition areas for cultural elements of four Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, as well as Turkmenistan exhibition windows. The exhibition focuses on showcasing the history, culture, art, folk customs, and other life scenes and characteristic elements of each country. Combining digital light and shadow, the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone presents the rich cultural customs of Central Asian countries in a real-life manner, showcasing the unique products of each country, It will build a platform for economic and trade cooperation among the five Central Asian countries and the countries along the "the Belt and Road" to display exchanges and multiple interactions.

In the capital city of Beijing, numerous goods from Central Asia are silently improving people's lives.

Recently, a batch of granite samples from Kazakhstan entered the capital airport port and were quickly inspected and released by customs officers. With the continuous deepening of economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asia, more and more Central Asian specialty products are entering the domestic market. In addition to mineral products, there are also camel milk powder from Kazakhstan, nuts from Uzbekistan, and dried fruits, "Shi Jian, Deputy Chief of the Inspection Department of the Capital Airport Customs Inspection Office, told reporters

According to statistical data released by Beijing Customs, in the first four months of this year, the import and export of Beijing region (including central units in Beijing, the same below) to the five Central Asian countries reached 39.48 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.4%. Except for February, the import and export scale of each month has increased to varying degrees compared to the same period last year, reaching a peak of 11.81 billion yuan in April, a year-on-year increase of 4.3% and a month on month increase of 8.3%.

The relevant person in charge of Beijing Customs stated that in the first four months, state-owned enterprises in the Beijing region imported and exported 38.07 billion yuan to the five Central Asian countries, an increase of 1.9%, accounting for 96.4% of the total import and export value between the region and the five Central Asian countries. They are the main driving force for the growth of imports and exports between the region and the five Central Asian countries. In the first four months, Beijing imported 30.3 billion yuan of energy products such as crude oil and natural gas from the five Central Asian countries, accounting for 81.8% of the total international trade imports from the five Central Asian countries during the same period.

As more and more Central Asian goods enter China, a steady stream of "Made in China" is also pinned on the good wishes of the Chinese people, and they are closely linked to each other through the "the Belt and Road".

In the first four months of this year, Beijing's exports to the five Central Asian countries were mainly focused on mechanical and electrical products, with rapid growth in labor-intensive products. In the first four months, Beijing exported 1.71 billion yuan of mechanical and electrical products, accounting for 69.4% of the total export value of Beijing to the five Central Asian countries during the same period; The export of labor-intensive products such as textiles and clothing, shoes and boots reached 60 million yuan, an increase of 15.3%.

In the south of China, more and more enterprises are also turning their attention to Central Asia. According to statistical data released by Nanjing Customs, in the first four months of this year, Jiangsu Province's international trade imports and exports to the five Central Asian countries amounted to 5.78 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.9%. Among them, exports reached 5.21 billion yuan, an increase of 14%; Import reached 570 million yuan, an increase of 24.7%.

Recently, a batch of home appliance product assemblies worth approximately 120000 yuan from Suzhou Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. were successfully exported to Uzbekistan. Our company's home appliance product assemblies will undergo final assembly in Uzbekistan and then be delivered to local consumers. From January to April of this year, our company's international trade export value to the five Central Asian countries reached 128 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 72.86%. "Tan Meifang, the Minister of International Trade of the company, introduced.

Kunshan Hainachuan Optical Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in the research and development, production, and sales of water sports equipment such as swimming goggles and buoyancy aids. This year, the company's swimwear products made their first foray into the Central Asian market. With the active assistance of Kunshan Customs under Nanjing Customs, the company quickly familiarized itself with local regulations and standards and completed product adaptation in a short period of time. The company's customs peak stated, "In the future, we will accelerate product upgrades, tap into the potential of the international trade market, and strive to reach a new level of sales

As companies explore the Central Asian market, the "steel camel caravan" loaded with products is also running non-stop. On May 12, 207 transit commodity cars successively entered the railway cage car special train. After loading, they left from Port of Lianyungang, then traveled westward along the New Eurasian Continental Bridge, passed through Khorgos Port in Xinjiang, and were transported to Central Asian countries. It is understood that since January 31 of this year, the Jiangsu Province China Europe Express first used railway cage cars (specifically for transportation vehicles) to transport transit commodity cars, Lianyungang Customs has ensured that three railway cage car special trains pass through, loading 500 transit cars.