Published : 2024-05-19

On May 19, 2010, the first central Xinjiang working conference, which lasted for 3 days, was concluded. The conference officially approved the establishment of the Kashgar Economic Development Zone.

Kashgar, the westernmost city in China, is set to target "Shenzhen in the east, Kashgar in the west" (東有深圳、西有喀什), according to Zeng Cun, then member of the Kashgar Committee and Secretary of the Municipal Committee.

Relying on the special support policies approved by the state for the establishment of the Kashgar Economic Development Zone, it aims to accelerate the pace of unconventional development, targeting the vast markets of East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, and strive to build Kashgar into a world-class international metropolis.

Subsequently, the Standing Committee of Peoples Congress of Xinjiang announced the implementation of the "Kashgar Economic Development Zone Regulations" (喀什經濟開發區條例), granting the Kashgar Economic Development Zone the right to exercise at the autonomous region level.

After ten years, Kashgar has achieved impressive results. As of 2020, the economic development zone has achieved a total regional GDP of CNY 92.17 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 29.98%. It also achieved an import-export trade volume of $3.604 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 270%.

In 2020, Kashgar region achieved a total regional GDP of CNY 1,379.758 billion, and the per capita disposable income reached CNY 23,845.