Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region set a target of roughly 10 percent growth in total foreign trade for 2026 in its government work report, the information office of the autonomous region said on Tuesday on its official WeChat account.

While Xinjiang’s foreign trade remains a relatively small share of the national total, this goal reflects the region’s determination to seize strategic opportunities amid the national economy’s overall high-quality development. It also signals that Xinjiang will continue to serve as a crucial gateway for China’s westward opening-up and play an increasingly pivotal role in advancing the nation’s high-quality development.

The setting of this target is grounded, first and foremost, in a solid foundation of development and a sustained positive momentum. In 2025, Xinjiang delivered an outstanding performance in foreign trade, with a year-on-year increase of 19.9 percent to 520.37 billion yuan ($74.83 billion). This growth rate was 16.1 percentage points higher than the national average, ranking first in the country.

It was the first year in which the autonomous region’s foreign trade exceeded 500 billion yuan, and it represented the autonomous region’s leap from 200 billion to more than 500 billion yuan during the course of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, according to the Urumqi Customs.

Notably, the growth in 2025 was not merely an expansion in scale – it was also accompanied by a continuous optimization in product structure. In 2025, exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 186.5 billion yuan, surging by 40.7 percent year-on-year and accounting for 40.5 percent of total exports. Exports of the “new three” products, representing green and low-carbon industries, grew by 73 percent, highlighting the enhanced competitiveness in high-end manufacturing. Agricultural exports, including walnuts and grapes, also gained momentum, recorded a 25.4 percent increase year-on-year.

The confidence behind the 10 percent target of this year is further supported by Xinjiang’s geographic advantages and improving logistics channels. Situated in the heart of the Eurasian continent with 19 open ports, Xinjiang serves as a natural hub connecting China with Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe. Data from Urumqi Customs shows that throughout 2025, 18,000 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains were inspected, a 7.4 percent year‑on‑year increase and the highest total nationwide.

These developments underscore Xinjiang’s growing role as an international logistics corridor. Efficient connectivity helps lower trade costs and enhance competitiveness, transforming the autonomous region from an inland area into a frontline gateway for further opening-up. With continued infrastructure upgrades and trade facilitation measures, this geographic dividend is expected to grow.

Moreover, Xinjiang’s trade growth carries broader strategic significance in serving the country’s opening-up agenda. Amid a sluggish global economic recovery and rising protectionism, China remains committed to high-standard opening-up. As a key frontier in westward opening-up, Xinjiang’s foreign trade development aligns closely with the national strategies.

Xinjiang’s expanding international cooperation under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) contributed significantly to its trade growth, with trade involving BRI partner countries hitting 458.37 billion yuan, up 14.7 percent, according to the Urumqi Customs.

To facilitate the smooth flow of goods, Xinjiang has implemented streamlined customs procedures. For instance, in 2025, Urumqi Customs cleared more than 500 tons of imported live king crabs worth 130 million yuan, an annual increase of 4.1 times and a new record.

The vigorous growth of Xinjiang’s foreign trade is just one example of its comprehensive progress. In recent years, Xinjiang has achieved notable advances in economic and social development, with improvements in living standards benefiting all residents.

As the deepening of pilot free trade zone policies, the expansion of international logistics networks, and the emerging of new forms of trade, Xinjiang is well positioned to leverage its role as a hub for Eurasian cooperation and contribute more substantially to the country’s open development.