Xinjiang, located in the center of the Eurasian continent, was an important node on the ancient Silk Road. For thousands of years, merchants and envoys of different skin colors and languages have frequently traveled on this ancient road, witnessing the exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. Entering a new era, Xinjiang has actively incorporated its regional opening strategy into the overall layout of the country's opening up to the west, ushering in broad development opportunities.

During his inspection in Xinjiang in 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that with the deepening of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", Xinjiang is no longer a remote area, but a core area and a hub area.

In recent years, with the in-depth advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the western region, Xinjiang is building a comprehensive and three-dimensional transportation network at an unprecedented speed and scale, becoming a transportation hub connecting the Eurasian continent, opening up to the west. The role of the "golden channel" is becoming increasingly apparent. In the first four months of this year, Xinjiang had trade with 197 countries and regions, and the total import and export value increased by 49.5% year-on-year, ranking among the top in the country. This vast land, which is deep in the hinterland of Asia and Europe and does not rely on the sea or the river, is promoting large-scale development through large-scale opening up and becoming a highland open inland and border areas.

Activate the "golden channel" while consolidating the foundation

Just after 8 o'clock in the morning, the D2708 bullet train left Urumqi Station in Xinjiang. More than 13 hours later, the train arrived in Xi'an, Shaanxi. After drinking milk tea in Urumqi in the morning, you can eat mutton and steamed buns in Xi'an at night. With its full integration into the national high-speed railway network, the time and space distance between Xinjiang and the eastern and central regions continues to shorten.

Xinjiang, with its unique "three mountains sandwiched by two basins" landform, has painted a fascinating picture of nature. However, this spectacular landscape was once like a natural barrier, hindering transportation and restricting Xinjiang's development pace.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xinjiang has continuously made up for its shortcomings and forged long ones, making every effort to build a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, and promoting the modern transportation system that "connects the inner ring of Xinjiang, makes entry and exit of Xinjiang faster, makes north and south Xinjiang smoother, and connects entry and exit of the country".

中欧班列行驶在乌鲁木齐达坂城湿地（2023年10月6日摄）。新华社发（摆风亮 摄）

The tunnel passes through the mountains, and the natural chasm becomes a thoroughfare. On May 12, the excavation of double main tunnels at the exit end of Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest highway tunnel, exceeded the 10000-meter mark, completing 90% of the main tunnel excavation task at the exit end. After the tunnel is opened, the driving time from Urumqi to Korla will be shortened from 7 hours to about 3 hours. This "throat" project will reshape the traffic pattern in northern and southern Xinjiang.

这是世界上在建的最长高速公路隧道——新疆天山胜利隧道出口端（2024年4月23日摄）。新华社发（孟根桑 摄）

According to the Department of Transportation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xinjiang has been the best period in the history of transportation construction with the largest investment scale, the fastest development speed, and the steady improvement of construction quality.

While the road network is changing with each passing day, railway and aviation construction is also ushering in great development. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway and the Geku (Golmud-Korla) Railway have been built one after another... Xinjiang has gradually formed the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway as the main channel, the Linhe-Hami Railway as the north channel, and the Geku Railway as the "one main and two auxiliary" of Nantong Road. Railway framework in and out of Xinjiang.

Viewed from a high altitude, Xinjiang airports are distributed like a carefully woven network, covering the vast land. Today, Burqin Kanas Airport, Aar-Tarim Airport, Tashkurgan Hongqilapu Airport... more and more "cloud buses" make cities thousands of miles apart no longer far away.

随着南航一架空客319飞机平稳降落在塔什库尔干红其拉甫机场，标志着新疆首座高高原机场完成实地验证试飞（2022年5月19日摄）。新华社发（王建摄）

Crossing the "three mountains" and surrounding the "two basins", the traffic between the north and south of Tianshan Mountains is accelerated three-dimensionally, forming a network vertically and horizontally. As of the end of last year, Xinjiang's total highway mileage reached 227,900 kilometers, railway operating mileage reached 9,525.6 kilometers, and there were 25 civil transport airports... A comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network that connects the domestic market in the east and the Eurasian market in the west, with frequent commercial and trade exchanges, supporting the country's opening up to the west. The three-dimensional transportation network is accelerating, activating the "golden channel", and enhancing the foundation and stamina of Xinjiang's high-quality development.

Release the "golden effect" in the process of internal introduction and external introduction

In midsummer, there is a constant flow of vehicles at the Irkeshtan Port on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan. New energy vehicles produced in China are shipped to overseas markets through here, and freight vehicles loaded with coal come from Kyrgyzstan. Riding on the east wind of the construction of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, this westernmost port in China is becoming increasingly busy.

"We have truly felt the results brought about by the improvement of port highway infrastructure and the implementation of various policies in the Pilot Free Trade Zone." Jiang Zhidong, chairman of Xinjiang Jiujiuxi International Trading Co., Ltd., said that as import costs decrease, companies will further expand the scale of coal imports from neighboring countries.

This is the vitality and vitality shown by Xinjiang's opening up ports to the outside world. Today, 15 land ports open to the outside world are formed in a chain along the border line in the western part of the motherland, linking up both domestic and international markets and becoming an important gateway for the country to open to the west.

南航工作人员在乌鲁木齐地窝堡国际机场装卸国际航班货物（2024年4月28日摄）。新华社发（车捷 摄）

Xinjiang's Zhimin comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network not only smoothes my opening to the west, but also drives the development and aggregation of related industries.

In Maigaiti County, Kashgar Prefecture on the southwestern edge of the Tarim Basin, thanks to the successive completion and opening of the cross-river bridge and expressway, at the end of 2014, this place, once known as the "Sand Sea Island", was fully integrated into the Xinjiang Expressway network. Newly picked locally melons, prunes, apricot plums and other fruits can be directly reached from the fields to the dining tables of Beijing and Shanghai residents on the same day or every other day.

Roads are built around industries, and industries turn around roads. Today, a convenient transportation network connects urban and rural areas in northern and southern Xinjiang, playing an important role in improving the competitiveness of local industries. "The transportation network extending in all directions not only allows farmers in southern Xinjiang to obtain stable income, but also injects a steady stream of impetus into rural economic development." Su Yingchao, director of Wuyi Forest Farm in Maigaiti County, said.

Not only is agricultural products "traveling far", in Xinjiang's vast world, more "Made in Xinjiang" use the extension of modern transportation networks to cross mountains and seas and reach the world.

Stamping, welding... The CICC New Energy Motorcycle Industrial Park in Horgos, Xinjiang is a busy scene. Recently, the first batch of 300 "Xinjiang Made" motorcycles exited the country through the Horgos Highway Port and entered the Kazakhstan market.

Yuan Zhiyou, chairman of Horgos Zhongjin New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., said that the successful export of the company's first batch of independently developed motorcycles to the Central Asian market is an important milestone in the company's internationalization strategy and will drive more upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to settle in Horgos.

中欧班列在霍尔果斯铁路口岸进行集装箱吊装作业（2024年1月15日摄）。新华社发（摆风亮 摄）

"Since the first China-Europe freight train left the country via the Alashankou Railway Port in 2011, the number of China-Europe freight trains at the Alashankou Railway Port has maintained growth for 13 consecutive years. The train line has covered 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the country, reaching Russia, Germany and Poland, etc. country." Yan Huapeng, director of the operation workshop of Alashankou Station, said that the categories of goods transported have expanded from the initial daily necessities, ores, etc. to more than 200 new energy vehicles, electronic products, etc. in China.

An open pattern of linkage between land and sea at home and abroad and mutual assistance between east and west is taking shape in Xinjiang. Data shows that in the past two years, Xinjiang's total import and export volume has increased by 57% and 45.9% respectively compared with the previous year; in the first four months of this year, the total import and export volume of the Pilot Free Trade Zone was 38.503 billion yuan, accounting for 27.92% of Xinjiang's total foreign trade.

Writing a "new chapter on the Silk Road" in open innovation

The gantry cranes move quickly and grab, and the train whistle sounds from time to time... In the Urumqi International Dry Port Area, trains of China-Europe freight trains galloped westward after being loaded.

天山脚下繁忙的中欧班列（2016年11月29日摄）。新华社发（摆风亮 摄）

Just as the image of "land and port area" is called, Urumqi, the city farthest from the ocean in the world, has used the comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network to "move" its river ports and seaports to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, advancing from the hinterland of the Eurasian continent to the forefront of opening up.

In October last year, China announced eight actions to support high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", including the construction of the "Belt and Road" three-dimensional interconnection network, providing new opportunities for Xinjiang's transportation development.

In June this year, the signing ceremony of the three-country intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway starting from Kashgar, Xinjiang has become a reality. After completion, it will greatly promote the interconnection of the three countries and drive faster regional economic and social development.

At a new historical starting point, Xinjiang is focusing on building a three-dimensional interconnection network of the Belt and Road Initiative and accelerating the construction of major projects.

The G0711 line Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, the G219 line Zhaosu to Wensu Highway project, and the G30 line Lianhuo Expressway Xingxingxia to Hami and Hami to Tuyugou Expressway reconstruction and expansion projects connecting the north and south Xinjiang have been accelerated; Projects such as the Geku Railway Capacity Expansion and Reconstruction Project, the Second Second Line of Zhundong Jiangjun Temple to Hami Naomaohu Railway, and the Lop Nur to Ruoqiang Railway are progressing smoothly; the construction of the Urumqi Airport Reconstruction and Expansion Project is accelerating, and the preliminary work of the Yining Airport Relocation Project is being efficiently advanced.

Li Xuedong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Transportation Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said that Xinjiang will give full play to the location advantages of "connecting the east to the west" and "diverting the west to the east", actively serve and integrate into the new development pattern, effectively promote the transformation from "channel economy" to "industrial economy", and create a highland open inland and border areas.

一列旅客列车奔驰在和若铁路线上（2022年6月5日摄）。新华社发（摆风亮 摄）

The road network is becoming denser and denser, and Xinjiang is surging with new development potential.

Based on its resource endowment, Xinjiang is accelerating the construction of "eight major industrial clusters" of oil and gas production and processing, coal, coal and chemical industry, green mining, grain, oil, cotton and textiles and clothing, green organic fruits and vegetables, high-quality livestock products, and new energy and new materials, and continues to add industrial competitiveness.

"It took 15 years for Xinjiang's total import and export volume to go from 100 billion yuan to 200 billion yuan; it only took one year to go from 200 billion yuan to 300 billion yuan. It is expected to reach a new level in 2024, exceeding 400 billion yuan." Chen Weijun, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Executive Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region, said that Xinjiang has consciously integrated its regional opening strategy into the overall layout of the country's opening up to the west and accelerated the pace and intensity of internal and external opening up.

"Countless bells pass through the moraine, and we should carry Bai Lian to Anxi." Today, Xinjiang is working hard to build inland open highland and border open highland, actively integrate into the globalization process, let the Asia-Europe Golden Corridor release the "golden effect", and jointly draw a new picture of the "Belt and Road".

Written reporters: Li Ziliang, Yang Hao, Cai Guodong, Hao Yu

Video reporter: Zhang Xiaocheng

Poster design: Jiang Zihan

Editors: Hao Yalin, Li Min, Hao Yu, Ren Zhenglai, Lu Yang, Feng Xiaoqing, Qiu Shijie

Coordinator: Gao Xinxin, Li Yunan