DUSHANBE, September 19, 2014, Asia-Plus  - An exhibition of export goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) kicked off at the Kokhi Borbad State Complex in Dushanbe today morning.

The event is organized by the Foreign Trade Department of China’s Ministry of Commerce, XUAR Commerce Department and Kashgar Administration (Kashgar Prefecture of XUAR).  Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and the Chinese Embassy in Dushanbe are co-organizers of the exhibition.

More than 60 Chinese companies are participating in the exhibition.  They have put on display their achievements in light industry, construction, agriculture, and IT technologies at the fair that will run through September 21.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tajik CCI head Sharif Said noted that the exhibition was organized to promote further expansion of trade and economic cooperation between Tajikistan and China, attract investments from China and launch joint ventures in Tajikistan.

A conference of representatives of Tajik and Chinese business communities is taking place on the sidelines of the exhibition today evening.  

Since 2004, similar exhibitions have taken place in Dushanbe, Kulob, Danghara, Gorno Badakhshan and other regions of Tajikistan.

Over the past decade, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and China has reportedly increased from 32 million U.S. dollars to 2 billion U.S. dollars. 

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the largest Chinese administrative division.  Xinjiang borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It has abundant oil reserves and is China''s largest natural gas-producing region.

Traditionally an agricultural region, Xinjiang also has large deposits of minerals and oil.  Xinjiang is known for its fruits and produce, including grapes, melons, pears, cotton, wheat, silk, walnuts and sheep. Particularly famous are Hami melons and Turpan raisins.