Border trade boosts economy 

cctv.com 10-20-2005 15:41

Thanks to a booming border trade, border areas have now become a driving force opening up Xinjiang to the outside world.

People busy loading trucks...

Cranes hoisting tons of goods...

And trees standing in the way of the wind...

This is China's second largest land port -- Alashankou. It's previously only been famous for its atrocious weather and desolate location.

Xu Feng has been working here for seven years. Now, he says, that reputation is a thing of the past.

Xu Feng, Director of Alashankou Port Safety Supervision Dept., said, "There are less sandstorms now. We sometimes cannot even feel the strong winds. The environment has improved a lot."

The improvement of natural environment has brought more business opportunities.

The border trade volume of Port Alashankou is now over 90-percent of the total trade in Xinjiang.

However, for businesspeople, the large amount of trade does not mean they will have to wait in long queues for customs clearance.

Aierken, Director of Alashankou Port customs, said, "We have improved the efficiency of customs procedures. They're two times faster than before. We want to make more improvements in the future."

Over thirteen years of development, the local government has injected roughly 170-million US dollars into the construction of roads, railways and other facilities.

That investment has helped the Alashankou port realize an average of 25-percent annual trade growth.

And the real beneficiaries are businessmen going across the border.

Yuan Shiqing, Businessman, said, "I have been in border trade for more than ten years. Alashankou has seen rapid development in terms of its scale. Most importantly, the service quality has improved a lot. We feel more convenient."

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com