The sandstorm in April swept over the border between China and Kazakhstan, and the gantry cranes at Khorgos Port were still busy. For Li Cheng, who has been running freight at the port all year round, the road after crossing the border has always been difficult - language barriers, complicated customs clearance, and difficult to find storage, each step is a hurdle. But just a few days ago, he noticed that a convoy of mechanical vehicles had begun to assemble and level the land on the Harbin side of the port. The "Harbin China Friendship Zone" planned in this area is about to emerge, and in the future, businessmen like him may be able to handle everything in one building, no longer worrying about the trivialities of cross-border logistics.

4 billion yuan to build cross-border hub

According to the Kazakh International News Agency, the highly anticipated Kazakhstan China Friendship Zone (trade and logistics complex) has officially started construction. The total investment of the project is about 587 million US dollars (equivalent to about 4 billion yuan), jointly built by Chinese and Kazakh investors, and is planned to be fully completed by the end of 2027.

The construction will be divided into two steps: the first phase will focus on developing an 800000 square meter exhibition and trade complex and a 700000 square meter logistics center, providing Chinese goods with land for exhibition and storage; The second phase will specifically add 150000 square meters of cold chain warehousing to address the cross-border transportation pain points of special goods such as fresh produce and pharmaceuticals. This is not only about building buildings, but also a key move to fill the gaps in infrastructure in the Harbin region.

The greatest value of this complex lies in simplifying complex cross-border trade. It introduces a "one-stop" service model that integrates functions such as customs, logistics, finance, law, and even translation and settlement. Chinese companies used to have to travel around to find channels and prevent risks, but here they are expected to receive one-stop solutions, significantly reducing the threshold and cost of "going global".

Dividends and opportunities

The implementation of the project is not only an upgrade of infrastructure, but also a tangible economic dividend. The operator expects that the project will create approximately 1000 job opportunities locally, including 200 permanent positions. More importantly, with the gathering of trade and logistics activities, the tax revenue on the Kazakh side of Khorgos Cooperation Center is expected to double, truly allowing border areas to enjoy the dividend of openness.

For Chinese companies, this means an excellent springboard to deeply cultivate the Central Asian market. Relying on Khorgos's unique "domestic and foreign" policy and the advantages of China Europe regular train corridor, enterprises can radiate their products to Central Asia and even the hinterland of Europe with lower costs and higher efficiency, and share the institutional opportunities of deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.Editor/Yang Meiling