40 years of development: Horgos Special Economic Zone

Photo taken shows Horgos Port in Horgos City, Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.（Source： the official website of People's government of Horgos）

Horgos is a small town located in Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Horgos in Mongolian means a place where caravan pass. On border with Kazakhstan, this western most part of China has long been a staging post where merchants travelling along the old Silk Road could make a stopover during their journey. Bordering the five Central Asian countries to the west and inland provinces and cities of China to the east, it is also crucial to the modern Silk Road.

Horgos was designated as a special economic zone at a central meeting of work in Xinjiang in May, 2010. As one of the youngest special economic zones in China, the border city has made great progress since then. With great support from central and local governments, this small and unremarkable town has transformed into a regional hub in the core area of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states and observer countries.

Photo taken shows a service center in Horgos City, Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.（Source： the official website of People's government of Horgos）

Horgos Port, the first port opening up to the west part of China, officially opened in 1988, which is also among the first batch of inland ports and has now been a national port with the best infrastructure and the optimized customs clearance procedure. China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, another project crucial to the development of Horgos, is joint efforts by both sides, covering a total area of 5.6 square kilometers, with 3.43 square kilometers on the Chinese side, and 2.17 square kilometers on the other side. Officially launched in 2012, the world’s first cross-border free trade zone has been a significant platform for international trade, regional trade fair and other financial activities, largely contributing to the regional cooperation along the modern Silk Road.

Photo taken shows international trading centers in Horgos City, Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.（Source： the official website of People's government of Horgos）

Thousands of years ago, Horgos was nothing but a post for travelers and traders to refresh themselves during their journey along the old Silk Road. Although it has upgraded to a more significant hub, the spirit of cooperation and exchange is still shining in the border city. With the in-depth advancement of the belt and road initiative, the critical hub along the modern Silk Road will definitely achieve greater success in the near future.

Photo taken shows a stree of Horgos City, Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.（Source： the official website of People's government of Horgos）