Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been making good progress in economic cooperation and trade with Azerbaijan under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Azerbaijani red wine, among other products, has been "streaming" continuously into Xinjiang via a direct flight service between Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, and Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang.
"The wine business is thriving," said Wang Wei, vice general manager of the foreign trade department at Xinjiang Yema Group.
According to him, his company has imported 10 batches, or more than 30,000 bottles, of red wine from Azerbaijan since last September when his company began importing Azerbaijani red wine.
Many Chinese tourists simply adore the taste of the Azerbaijani red wine and purchase more by mail order to be sent to their friends and relatives across China as gifts, Wang said.
In addition to the direct flight service, the China-Europe freight train service between Urumqi and Naples of Italy by way of Azerbaijan opens up more opportunities to Azerbaijani traders.
Wang said Azerbaijani companies have expressed their intent of importing chemicals and other products from Xinjiang.
In accordance with the BRI proposal for expedited opening up, Xinjiang has conducted trade and economic talks for cooperation with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Azerbaijan.
Thanks to the efforts and paired with establishment of cooperation mechanisms, Xinjiang's economic cooperation and trade with neighboring countries are picking up momentum, according to the commerce bureau of the autonomous regional government.
