Pakistan will make its first appearance as a full member country at the upcoming SCO summit. And the Khunjerab Pass on the China-Pakistan border plays a crucial role in bilateral trade, anti-terrorism cooperation and the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. CGTN's Wu Lei visited the Pass and brings us more.

Crossing between China and Pakistan, the Khunjerab Pass is the world's highest paved international border, with an altitude of about 5,000 meters. Each day, dozens of Pakistani businessmen take a bus, crossing the border to trade in China. Qasim Ali is one of them, he has been operating his import and export business here for over 7 years.

QASIM ALI PAKISTANI BUSINESSMAN "In a month, I cross this border two times or three times. I was importing from Pakistan these bronze things and these jade stones, which are handmade in Pakistan, I bring and sell in China."

Qasim Ali says these Pakistani products are very popular in the Chinese market, and he also exports Chinese electronics and clothes to Pakistan through the Khunjerab pass. In addition to these small businesses, many trucks loaded with Chinese machinery and textiles also cross the border for joint projects. And the trade volume between the two countries has been growing rapidly.

CAO LEI, CHIEF KHUNJERAB CUSTOMS "Our customs statistics show that in 2017 the bilateral trade volume through the Khunjerab pass was 3.7 billion US dollars, an increase of over 60% compared with 2016. For example these goods behind me are infrastructure materials mainly used for projects in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor."

Stretching from Kashgar in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Pakistan's Gwadar Port, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor covers 3,000 kilometers of roads, railways and pipelines, aiming to form a comprehensive network of trade, industry and transportation. The Khunjerab pass is the only overland connection along this stretch, and it's considered the most strategic and dangerous point.

WANG XIANLEI, CHIEF KHUNJERAB IMMIGRATION INSPECTION STATION "Based on the global situation, many drug dealers attempt to smuggle drugs from the Golden Crescent, the world's top opium center, into China through the Khunjerab Pass. The most important task for this border inspection is to keep illegal drug-dealers and terrorists out of China."

They have uncovered many astonishing crimes related to drugs and weapon dealers in recent years.

WU LEI KHUNJERAB PASS "So to make sure trade is safe and secure, the border check here is the last line of defense against infiltration by terrorists and drug dealers. Any unchecked danger could have fatal consequences."

Preventing terrorism and drugs requires cooperation between countries, particularly at border areas. Chinese authorities and Pakistani officers hold routine meetings in the area.

LIAQAT ALI, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SOST IMMIGRATION CHECK POST, PAKISTAN "We are looking forward to enlarging collaboration between Pakistani and Chinese immigration, in order to combat anti-human trafficking, illegal drugs and other crimes.

Many Chinese and Pakistani businessmen say a peaceful and well managed border will further bolster the relationship between the two countries. WL, CGTN, at the China Pakistan Border."