Published : 19/05/2025

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

Relying on the special support policies approved by the state for the establishment of the Kashgar Economic Development Zone, Kashgar (喀什), the westernmost city in China, aims to accelerate the pace of unconventional development.

It targeted the vast markets of East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, and strived 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.

More than a decade has passed, and the Kashgar region has achieved remarkable results, with the GDP of the region exceeding 160 billion RMB in 2024.

The total value of imports and exports exceeded 90 billion RMB for the first time, accounting for 22.9% of the total value of foreign trade in Xinjiang, which is a record high in the scale of foreign trade.