Fujian and Xinjiang, two regions connected by the Belt and Road Initiative, explored new opportunities for cooperation between their free trade zones during the ninth China-Eurasia Expo.

The Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce, which oversees Fujian's free trade zone affairs, visited Xinjiang during the expo, where officials and enterprises from the two regions discussed industrial cooperation and investment opportunities.

A quadruped robot wows visitors at the 9th China-Eurasia Expo. [Photo by Hu Dongyue/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The visit included exchanges with representatives from Urumqi, Kashgar, and Horgos — the major areas of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone — as well as five linked innovation zones in the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture and Aksu prefecture. Participants learned about local industrial policies and investment opportunities while discussing cooperation in cross-border logistics, green industries, and the digital economy.

In Horgos, participants visited the port dispatch center, comprehensive bonded zone, and cross-border tourism service center to learn about its role in facilitating border opening and connecting China with Central Asia and Europe.

Fujian serves as a key hub on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, while Xinjiang is a key gateway on the Silk Road Economic Belt. These exchanges demonstrated how the two regions' trade routes and opening platforms can complement each other on land and at sea.