Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Thanks to flourishing cross-border shopping and tourism, the China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International Boundary Cooperation Center has seen the number of border crossings further increase to 30,000 a day in recent weeks.
As of July 11, the center, which covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers, had recorded more than 5 million border crossings this year, up 73 percent from a year earlier. The center is located partly in the city of Horgos in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and partly in Kazakhstan.
As a demonstration zone for regional cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the center has witnessed ever-growing trade and economic ties among the member countries of the organization, which was established 24 years ago by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
With 10 member states, two observer states and 14 dialogue partners, the SCO currently represents nearly half the world’s population, a quarter of the world’s land area and about a quarter of global GDP. Over the years since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has evolved into a comprehensive regional organization that brings certainty and vitality to an often volatile global economic system, analysts say.
The largest SCO summit ever will take place in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, bringing together leaders from Asia, Europe and Africa. The upcoming meeting is expected to inject new vitality into the global economy by formulating a plan for the future development of the organization.
STRONG TRADE AND ECONOMIC TIES
The Chinese part of the China-Kazakhstan International Boundary Cooperation Center “Khorgos” is home to over 2,000 retail outlets, including over 200 duty-free shops selling over a thousand types of goods from over 40 countries. Each person can purchase duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan (about $1,125) per day.
“Products such as chocolate from Kazakhstan and traditional headdresses of the Kazakh ethnic group in China are particularly popular,” said Lin Zixuan, the owner of one of the outlets, noting that on peak days her daily income reaches 100,000 yuan.
The active trade activity at the centre reflects growing trade and economic ties between China and other SCO member states in recent years, with cooperation spanning sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture and technology.
China's trade turnover with other SCO member countries reached approximately 3.65 trillion yuan by the end of 2024, which is more than 36 times higher than the level recorded at the time of the organization's establishment.
Despite growing external uncertainty, the momentum of trade cooperation has been maintained this year. Official data show that from January to July 2025, China's total trade with other SCO member countries reached 2.11 trillion yuan, up 3 percent from the same period last year.
It is noteworthy that in July of this year alone, China's trade turnover with other SCO member states grew by 8.5 percent to 326.05 billion yuan. Both July figures were the highest since the beginning of this year.
INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION IN EMERGING SECTORS
More than 40 wind turbines towering over the vast grasslands of Kazakhstan's Akmola region transform wind energy into clean electricity that is sent through the power grid directly to the country's capital, Astana.
The wind power plant, built and operated by a Chinese company, was commissioned in September 2023, becoming the largest in Kazakhstan at that time.
In Kyrgyzstan, a 5G network deployed with the participation of Chinese enterprises has now covered major cities, increasing the country's internet penetration from 43 percent to over 70 percent. Meanwhile, in Tajikistan, a digital health platform jointly developed by China and Tajikistan has provided full coverage for remote medical consultations, benefiting residents in remote areas.
As these projects have demonstrated, SCO member states are seeking closer cooperation in developing sectors, including clean energy, environmental protection, new energy vehicles and the digital economy.
Thanks to cooperation in cross-border e-commerce (CBC), more high-quality goods from SCO member countries enter the Chinese market. In 2024, China's import volume from other SCO member countries in the CBC grew by 34 percent year-on-year.
China plays a significant role in the SCO and is the driving force behind its development, Kyrgyz expert Igor Shestakov said in a recent interview with the Xinhua news agency.
According to Vice Minister of Commerce of China Lin Ji, China is promoting cooperation with its SCO partners in the fields of oil and gas production, manufacturing, green energy and digital economy in line with the main theme of the “SCO Year of Sustainable Development”.
These efforts are expected to help promote industrial transformation and bring closer links in production and supply chains among SCO members, the official said.
STRIVING FOR INCLUSIVITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT
Having highly praised China for fulfilling its obligations to support SCO member countries without putting forward political conditions, I. Shestakov said that such an approach reflects the “Shanghai Spirit,” characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity, and the desire for joint development.
By the end of 2024, China's total investment in SCO member states, observer countries and dialogue partners will exceed US$140 billion.
International affairs expert and Founding Director of the Belt and Road Initiative – Sri Lanka Yasiru Ranarajah said that over the past 24 years, the SCO has continued to grow and expand, demonstrating its inclusiveness as well as its attractiveness and viability. Sri Lanka is a dialogue partner of the SCO.
According to the expert, many countries want to join the SCO as dialogue partners and full members, which has demonstrated the recognition of the organization by the international community.
He added that the SCO provides a valuable platform for cooperation among countries in the Global South. When the world faces challenges such as geopolitical conflicts and protectionism, the SCO embodies “a more equitable and inclusive vision of regional governance.” -0-
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