KASHGAR: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday visited the Kashgar Free Trade Zone, the only facility of its kind in southern Xinjiang and an important hub for trade and logistics in the region.

The president was received by Yao Ning, CPC Party Secretary of Kashgar, and was briefed on the zone’s growth since its establishment in 2015.

Spread over 3.56 square kilometres, the zone brings together bonded warehousing, logistics, processing, customs clearance, and air freight services. It has trade links with 118 countries, with exports ranging from electric vehicles and batteries to solar cells, high-tech goods, and auto parts.

President Zardari was informed that the zone is connected by road, rail and air to both Asia and Europe, with its own international airport. It is linked with the Sost port in Gilgit-Baltistan, just 400km away, and with Gwadar port at a distance of 2,000km. The zone handles both imports and exports through these routes.

Officials briefed the president on the digital trade centre established in 2024, now home to more than 5,400 companies, and the cross-border e-commerce exhibition centre showcasing duty-free products from across Central Asia, Europe and beyond.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025