STORY: Xinjiang, a hub of connectivity on Belt and Road
DATELINE: Oct. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 0:05:06
LOCATION: URUMQI, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Xinjiang
2. STANDUP 1 (English): HUANG AIPING
3. STANDUP 2 (English): HUANG AIPING
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Russian): DANIEL, Head of a Belarusian duty-free shop in Horgos
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Russian): MULLAH, Businessman from Kazakhstan
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): YU HUAN, Deputy General Manager, Horgos Jinyi International Trade (Group) Co., Ltd.
7. STANDUP 3 (English): HUANG AIPING
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HAMIT TURGUN, Staff member of Horgos Station, China-Europe freight trains
9. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI XUYANG, Horgos customs in Xinjiang
10. STANDUP 4 (English): HUANG AIPING
11. SOUNDBITE 6 (Turkish): BARIS DOSTER, Scholar with Istanbul-based Marmara University

STORYLINE:

Located in China's northwest, the vast land of Xinjiang is not only known for its breathtaking landscapes -- it's also become an important channel for exchanges between countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and an important gateway for China to open up to the West.

STANDUP 1 (English): HUANG AIPING
"Ten years after China proposed the BRI, what changes has it brought to connectivity, people's livelihood, and sustainable development? We will try to find the answers here in Xinjiang."

Horgos, meaning "a place where caravans pass" in Mongolian, was once a busy passage used by traders traveling along the ancient Silk Road. 
Now it straddles the border between China and Kazakhstan, and serves as a major doorway to Central Asia.

STANDUP 2 (English): HUANG AIPING
"This is the borderline between China and Kazakhstan. There are two colors painted on the ground, red for China, and blue for Kazakhstan. And it is only about 4 hours' drive from here to Almaty, one of the major cities in Eurasia."

Official figures show that in the first five months this year, Horgos Port handled 173,000+ passenger trips and 65,000+ vehicles.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Russian): DANIEL, Head of a Belarusian duty-free shop in Horgos 
"I came from Almaty. People here are very interesting. It is a very unusual city. We want to introduce our good, high-quality products to other people."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Russian): MULLAH, Businessman from Kazakhstan
"We just wanted to present our products to China so that they can see our products. China and Kazakhstan are friends in economy, social sphere, so that is why we are here. We are developing because of the Silk Road. This is a very important economic project."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): YU HUAN, Deputy General Manager, Horgos Jinyi International Trade (Group) Co., Ltd.
"Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, the most significant change I've witnessed is in our infrastructure. It used to take 12 hours for our fruits and vegetables to be transported to markets in Almaty. But now as sections of the Western Europe-Western China (WE-WC) Highway opened to traffic, the transportation time has been reduced to around 4 and a half hours. Our high-quality agricultural products can now be exported to Central Asia and Russia. Additionally, there has been an increase in exchanges related to farming practices, management, and culture."

STANDUP 3 (English): HUANG AIPING
"This is the reloading area of China-Europe freight trains in Horgos. Guess what? More than 40 percent of China-Europe freight trains passed through Horgos (in 2022), forging an essential link between the East and the West."

Horgos witnessed its inaugural passage of China-Europe freight trains in March 2016.

So far, the port has handled over 30,000 China-Europe freight trains.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HAMIT TURGUN, Staff member of Horgos Station, China-Europe freight trains
"The China-Europe freight trains passing through the Horgos railway port reach 45 cities and regions in 18 countries. They transport more than 200 types of goods, including daily consumer products, auto components, and high-tech products. Compared to a decade ago, there has been significant growth. Furthermore, the goods exported also include complete new energy vehicles (NEVs) from China, and their auto parts, offering opportunities for sustainable development shared with countries involved in the joint construction of the BRI."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI XUYANG, Horgos customs in Xinjiang 
"A decade ago, the Horgos Port primarily exported general merchandise, but today, there has been rapid growth in high-value-added 'Made in China' products. Their proportion in the total export trade volume has continuously increased."

STANDUP 4 (English): HUANG AIPING
"But there's more to Xinjiang's importance in the BRI than just the trains and trade. As China is on its way to achieving carbon neutrality, Xinjiang is also embracing sustainable development and renewable energy with open arms and sharing that opportunity with countries along the BRI. I'm now standing in a vast wind farm, where windmills harness the power of nature, generating clean energy that fuels Xinjiang's progress."

Xinjiang is rich in energy resources, with wind and solar energy reserves ranking first in China.

The total installed power capacity of Xinjiang has been increased from 14.1 million kW in 2010 to 109 million KW as of January 2022, with the utilization rate of renewable energy increasing from 63 percent in 2016 to 94 percent in 2022.

SOUNDBITE 6 (Turkish): BARIS DOSTER, Scholar with Istanbul-based Marmara University
"The People's Republic of China and its leadership pay special attention to the fact that the development in Xinjiang is in harmony with nature, environment, culture and history.
This human-oriented growth in harmony with the environment, nature, history, historical texture, and cultural heritage is important for the whole world in terms of both protecting the past and passing on a cleaner nature to the future."

Xinjiang is a dynamic place where commerce converges, connections are forged, and fruitful exchanges occur.
As we stand here in Xinjiang, witnessing the flourishing of trade, and cultural exchanges, it's clear that this region is not just a transit point, but a vital player in shaping the future.
Xinjiang's embracing of renewable energy, its role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the aspirations of its people make it a beacon of progress and promise.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China.
(XHTV)