China's trade with its neighboring countries on its western borders are becoming increasingly important in recent years, a senior official of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said here on Friday.

Xinjiang borders eight countries and has opened 17 first-category ports making it a gateway to western Asia and the Middle East.

An oil pipeline connecting China and Kazakhstan has been completed and a cross-border trade zone launched between China and Kazakhastan, and a zero-tariff trade plan between China and Pakistan will be launched in January next year, said Dai Gongxing, Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China.

Dai made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing when promoting the 15th trade fair to be held in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

The fair also constitutes part of China's efforts to promote trade activities with its western neighbors and has won support from Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kirghizstan and and Uzebkistan, he acknowledged.

Dai went on to say that the previous 14 trade fairs in Urumqi completed 17.37 billion U.S. dollars of foreign trade, 6.02 billion U.S. dollars of foreign economic cooperation and 293.34 billion yuan (about 36.7 billion U.S. dollars) of domestic trade.

The trade fair will hold activities especially to promote cooperation and coordination with China's on-going "Year of Russia", Dai said.

Source: Xinhua