Xinjiang is an important strategic guarantee base for energy and resources in China, a significant supply base for high-quality agricultural and livestock products nationwide, a strategic barrier for safeguarding national geopolitical security, a golden passage between Asia and Europe, a bridgehead for opening up to the west, and a strategic fulcrum for building a new development pattern. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Over the past 70 years, through hard work and perseverance, Xinjiang has gradually unfolded a magnificent picture of economic development, social stability, improvement of people's livelihood, ethnic unity and opening up to the outside world. Everywhere in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains is brimming with vitality.
Tianjin Port is the seaport closest to Xinjiang, and Xinjiang is also an important market hinterland for Tianjin Port.
The cooperation between Tianjin and Xinjiang has a long history. The Tianjin Port Group has always regarded serving Xinjiang as a major task, giving full play to the role of Tianjin Port as an important strategic support point for connecting the domestic and international dual circulation in northern China. It has been deeply rooted in the Xinjiang market and continuously strengthened the layout of the logistics service network in Xinjiang. In 2000, Tianjin Port Group set up an office in Urumqi. In 2009, it established a joint venture in Yili and set up a dry port. In 2018, it established the Xinjiang regional headquarters. Up to now, it has set up 10 directly-operated stores and franchise stores, covering the main cargo source concentration areas in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains such as Urumqi, Shihezi, Changji, Wujiaqu, Hami and Korla. In 2024, Tianjin Port Group established an inland container management center in Urumqi, introducing container sources from shipping companies for sea transportation. This enabled direct container usage for local exports in Xinjiang and local return of empty containers for imports, with the entire transportation process being carried out in one container. By empowering the advantageous resource elements of ports and shipping and innovating logistics models, the comprehensive social logistics costs can be effectively reduced.
Tianjin Port Group has been continuously strengthening its supply chain service guarantee, providing integrated full-process logistics solutions for numerous customers. The exported tomato paste from the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, walnuts from the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, imported cotton pickers from the cotton fields of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and imported lithium ore from the Bazhou Industrial Park. The types of goods served cover over a hundred categories including coal and ores, oil and gas, and chemicals. Through the considerate services provided by Tianjin Port Group at the "doorstep", more and more characteristic products have left Xinjiang and integrated into domestic and international markets, effectively promoting the high-quality development of Xinjiang's ten key industrial clusters.
In the golden autumn season, tomato sauce from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains once again arrives at Tianjin Port by sea-rail intermodal train and sets sail for the sea. Over the years, Tianjin Port Group has thoroughly implemented the strategic deployment requirements of the state, focusing on building an open pattern of "interaction between land and sea, and mutual assistance between east and west". It has strengthened the interaction between seaports and land ports, and based on Xinjiang's resource endowment, geographical advantages and industrial foundation, has been concentrating on creating an interconnected, efficient, smart and green logistics channel between Tianjin and Xinjiang.
In terms of the eastward passage, multiple container sea-rail intermodal train services have been organized and launched to Urumqi, Zhundong, Shihezi, Korla and other places, providing customers with "single document" and "single container" characteristic sea-rail intermodal service products, and issuing intermodal bills of lading with Xinjiang as the departure point.
In terms of the westward passage, Tianjin Port Group has continuously strengthened its cooperation and connection with border ports such as Urumqi International Land Port, Alashankou, Khorgos, and Kashgar. It has organized and operated the international combined transport train service of "Tianjin Port - Khorgos/Alashankou - Central Asia", building an international logistics corridor connecting East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, as well as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and South China through Tianjin Port to Central Asia. Especially since the beginning of this year, the group company has seized the opportunity of the SCO Summit. The volume of international freight trains transported to Central Asia via Xinjiang ports has seen a significant increase. From January to September, it has exceeded 5,000 TEUs and is about to achieve scheduled operation. The transportation efficiency has been greatly improved, injecting new impetus into high-quality services for jointly building the "Belt and Road Initiative".
