Foreign trade levels of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region soared 49.6 percent year on year to nearly 145.6 billion yuan ($21 billion) from January to August this year, local customs data showed.

According to Urumqi Customs, Xinjiang exports reached over 120.9 billion yuan in the first eight months of 2022, up 58.2 percent year on year, while its imports grew by 18 percent to 24.6 billion yuan.

Connecting East and West, Xinjiang is an important gateway for international trade, cultural exchange and regional cooperation.

The increase in foreign trade in the region is attributed to a series of steps taken to ensure stability in employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, and domestic investment, according to Urumqi Customs.

It also noted that thanks to streamlined customs clearance measures, the operation of China-Europe freight train services in Xinjiang had been continuously improved.

From January to August, Alataw Pass and Horgos Port, both major rail ports in Xinjiang, achieved a record high in handling 8,701 China-Europe freight trains, up 6.5 percent compared to the previous year.

The China-Europe rail freight link reached the landmark 10,000th train on Friday. The train has played an important role in injecting vitality into global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Source: Xinhua with edits)