Ambassador Hashmi visits Khorgos Free Trade Zone

Ambassador Khalil Hashmi visits Khorgos Free Trade Zone to boost cooperation and enhance investment opportunities.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, paid a detailed visit to the Khorgos Free Trade Zone in northern Xinjiang on Sunday. This zone serves as China’s busiest dry port, a key border crossing, and a Cooperation Center, offering a unique combination of facilities that enable seamless movement of goods and people between China and Kazakhstan.

During his visit, the ambassador met with local officials and discussed how Khorgos has evolved into a sixth-generation border crossing. Both sides also explored opportunities for cooperation and exchange, with a focus on learning from Khorgos’ operational model and potentially applying its best practices to the Khunjerab dry port between Pakistan and China. Ambassador Hashmi is currently in Xinjiang on an official visit.

At the dry port, Ambassador Hashmi was briefed on how the use of advanced technology by customs and immigration authorities at Khorgos has enabled efficient and uninterrupted cross-border movement. He was informed that cargo trucks are cleared within 25 to 30 minutes, thanks to technological integration, and that bilateral trade volume has increased by 46% year-on-year in 2025.

He also received a briefing on the successful operation of a duty-free border market covering 5.8 square kilometers, where citizens from China, Kazakhstan, and third countries can shop without paying duties. The ambassador and local leadership agreed to maintain communication and promote study visits to examine how this model could be adapted for Pakistan’s border markets with neighboring countries.

Ambassador Hashmi’s visit follows several initiatives taken by Pakistan and China in recent years to upgrade their shared land border infrastructure. In December 2024, both countries launched year-round operations at the Khunjerab Pass.

Previously, in June last year, the ambassador had visited the Khunjerab Port and Pakistan-China land border. Proposals are currently being finalized for integrated border management and the creation of a green channel for agricultural products, among other collaborative initiatives.