Xinjiang foreign trade up 14.1 pct in Jan.-Nov.

URUMQI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The foreign trade volume of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region rose by 14.1 percent year on year to reach 459.2 billion yuan (about 65.1 billion U.S. dollars) from January to November, surpassing the total for the whole of last year, local authorities have said.

In the first 11 months of the year, the region's trade with Belt and Road partner countries saw a year-on-year increase of 8.8 percent, accounting for 87.7 percent of the total value of Xinjiang's foreign trade. Trading with ASEAN, Africa, West Asia, Middle East and Latin America posted stellar growth.

During this period, Xinjiang recorded 4,215 foreign trade enterprises engaged in actual import and export activities, up 24.4 percent year on year.

Giving full play to its advantages in geographic location, resources and policies, Xinjiang aims to build a golden channel across the Eurasian continent and a gateway for opening up to the west.

Li Qinghua, deputy director of Urumqi Customs, said Xinjiang will further tap its foreign trade potential and foster a more resilient and quality-driven growth. ■