The governor of China’s restive western region wants to boost its economy by further opening it up to external trade and investment, state media said Monday.
Gov. Nur Bekri said he would promote Xinjiang’s foreign trade and economic cooperation with neighboring countries, work on establishing special economic zones in the cities of Kashgar and Horgos and attract domestic and foreign investors, the China News Service said.
Xinjiang is China’s Central Asian frontier, bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and other countries, and was long a gateway, the region crossed by the Silk Road caravan routes that sent Chinese silk to the Middle East and Europe.
Bekri said further expanding trade and economic links was key to Xinjiang’s long-term stability, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
He urged the region to participate more in international cooperation and competition in economic and technological areas, it reported.
AP/April Media