President Zardari visits Kashgar Free Trade Zone

Kashgar (Web Desk): President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday paid a visit to the Kashgar Free Trade Zone, the only one of its kind in southern Xinjiang and a vital hub for regional commerce and logistics.

He was received by Yao Ning, Party Secretary of Kashgar, who briefed him on the zone’s development since its establishment in 2015.

Covering an area of 3.56 square kilometres, the facility brings together bonded storage, logistics, processing, customs clearance and air freight, and maintains trade ties with 118 countries. Its exports include electric vehicles, batteries, solar products, advanced technology items and automobile components.

The President was told that the zone is well-connected to Asia and Europe through road, rail and air networks, supported by its own international airport.

It also links with Sost port in Gilgit-Baltistan, only 400 kilometres away, and Gwadar port at a distance of 2,000 kilometres, serving as a passage for both imports and exports.

During his tour, President Zardari also visited stalls representing several nations such as Japan, South Korea, European states and Central Asian countries.

He was further briefed on the digital trade centre launched in 2024, which now hosts more than 5,400 enterprises, as well as the cross-border e-commerce exhibition centre displaying duty-free goods from across Central Asia, Europe and beyond.

Updates were also shared on the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” project, which includes an Uzbekistan-backed industrial park offering warehouse-to-warehouse delivery within 72 hours and a Kyrgyz-supported initiative under development for vehicle assembly and LED production.

The President was accompanied on this visit by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Pakistan’s ambassador to China and the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan.