Xinjiang and the World

Globalization of Agricultural Products

While its position on the ancient Silk Road has long since passed， a new era of globalization is unfolding in Xinjiang.

The most obvious sign of Xinjiang’s globalization lies with its agricultural products. Xinjiang’s long-time staple of cotton is one of the most sought after varieties. Trade of tomato and fur products has seen rapid growth. Xinjiang didn’t produce any tomato products until the 1980s， and is now the top ketchup producer in the world. Since lavender was introduced in the 1960s， the flower has become a major export to France and made the region China’s largest lavender production base.

Stories of Xinjiang tomatoes began emerging a couple decades ago. In 1989， the first tomato processing plant began operation in Xinjiang. However， due to a lack of industrial chain， the factory soon closed. In 1994， projects for tomato processing plants started again， which resulted in large areas of tomato plantation. Scientific management modes and planting plans coupled with Xinjiang’s favorable natural conditions contribute to the success of tomato industry in the region. Long hours of sunlight and scarce rain make tomatoes from Xinjiang exceptionally high in lycopene， which is a big part of many tomato products， especially ketchup. Xinjiang’s high tomato output also quickly made China a new major producer of tomato products. According to statistics in late 2013， China is now already the world’s biggest exporter of tomato products， and Xinjiang accounts for upwards of 70 percent of the country’s export volume and 30 percent share of international trade.

Joining an international agricultural manufacturing chain is another reason behind Xinjiang’s tomato globalization. Seeds from US-based food and ketchup giant Heinz are encouraged. At harvest time， machines pick up the ripe fruits， replacing manual labor gradually. Also， imported processing machines lower bacterial levels in tomato products， providing a faster track to the European market.

Another globally-expanding agricultural product is lavender. In 1964， China introduced 31 varieties of lavender from France’s Provence. After trial planting failed in Shaanxi Province， the plant was moved to Xinjiang’s Ili. With similar latitude， climate and soil conditions of Provence， Ili finally became the Chinese home for lavender. And due to influence from Central Asia， Xinjiang already has the tradition of extracting essence oils from flowers. Now， the region’s major method of extracting lavender oil is water-steam distillation， the same as in France.

The formerly exotic plant has flourished on the land. Since 1990， a great quantity of Xinjiang lavender has been exported to France. According to local farmers， since Xinjiang lavender produces high-quality， stable oil， which is an essential ingredient in many upscale cosmetic products， the flower enjoys great demand from the international market.

Modern Shepherds

At present， about 1.3 million people of the Kazakh ethnic group live in Xinjiang， inhabiting land all the way from Junggar Basin northward to Altay Mountain. Since the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）， Kazakh people have been inhabiting Altay Mountain and northern Junggar Basin.

Weather in northern Xinjiang becomes cold by September. With the first snow usually falling in October， winter quickly follows and soon every road to villages around Altay Mountain is impassible due to heavy snow. Thus， in September， Kazakh herders leave the area.

They migrate to more pleasant pastures. A major part of their lives， the migration happens twice yearly. In summer， they take their animals to mountaintops for lush grasses and abundant water. In winter， they move the livestock down to warm valleys and flatlands. Nowadays， not many herdsmen still use camels， the traditional transportation for luggage. At reasonable prices， more are willing to drive or rent a car. However， sheep， horses， and cows still need to trek the same routes that have been used for centuries. In this sense， it is arduous. Due to such frequent migration， Kazakh herdsmen build plain homes and eat food that is easy to produce and preserve， including dairy granules， dried meat， and deep-fried cakes.

Some believe that a settled population represents a modern， scientific， and advanced lifestyle， making nomadic people the opposite. However， a closer observation of modern Kazakh families proves this theory wrong. They are not confined to tradition， but adopt a scientific approach to herding. They choose the nomadic life primarily due to the nature of the pastures， which changes with the season. Kazakh people are not disconnected from the outside world. For example， wool from their sheep is sold to Kazakhstan， sheepskin to leather corporations in Zhejiang Province， and mutton to farmers’ markets. In off-seasons， many even temporarily work in cities. Xinjiang’s herdsmen are active in Central Asian markets， and it’s fair to say many see more of the world than their countrymen from elsewhere in rural China.

Prosperous Border Trade

The region with the longest piece of China’s border， Xinjiang touches eight countries： Russia， Mongolia， Kazakhstan， Kyrgyzstan， Tajikistan， Afghanistan， Pakistan and India. This geographical situation facilitates heavy border trade.

Khorgas， an inland port in Huocheng County， Ili， is located near the Kazakhstan border. Although a small town， it is the biggest dry port in northwestern China. Prosperous border trade injects it with vitality.

Many are eager to try their luck in this new lucrative market. Housewives from Kazakhstan living near the border are willing to travel there to shop for cheaper vegetables. Some even travel from as far as Alma-Ata， more than 300 kilometers away. Even with transportation costs calculated into the price， they get cheaper and fresher vegetables than at home. At first， Kazakhstan nationals didn’t even negotiate prices， but over time， they learned all the tricks from local shoppers. Kazakhstan nationals enjoy 24-hour visa-free passage to the town.

Khunjerab Port in Kashgar is another hub of Xinjiang’s flourishing border trade. Geographically speaking， Kashgar was at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road and formerly the largest commodity distribution center on the route. Khunjerab Port， at an altitude of 4，700 meters， connects China to Pakistan. From here， China’s textiles， porcelain， garments， and toiletries are exported， while foreign kerchiefs， shawls， cigarettes， and medicine flow into China. By the early 21st Century， 400，000 people from 104 countries had arrived in and left China for trade through the port.

Abundant Resources

Xinjiang has rich underground resources. In terms of geographical features， many compare the land to USA’s Alaska.

Home to 49 sedimentary basins of different sizes， the region is abundant in oil and natural gas reserves. Experts estimate that Xinjiang’s oil reserves measure about 50 billion tons， accounting for more than a third of the country’s total on land. Reserves of natural gas stand at 13 trillion cubic meters， nearly a third of the country’s land-based total.

A place deemed to have “treasure on every mountain，” Xinjiang produces 140 minerals from more than 5，000 mines. Reserves of coal are estimated to top 2 trillion tons， accounting for 40 percent of China’s total. Among minerals with proven reserves， five rank first and more than 20 varieties rank top five in the country. Many areas are gifted with unique resources. For example， Ili is one of the few areas in Xinjiang and even China with a great variety of minerals. Turpan basin is another home for rich minerals， and Aksu Prefecture is bestowed with rich oil and natural gas.

Many scholars believe that Xinjiang， with such favorable conditions including vast land and rich resources， should aim high and compete for a major position in the international market.