Khorgos - where is this? Kazakh-Chinese friendship

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Khorgos is a tiny town in Kazakhstan, which, due to circumstances and its geographical location, is going to become an important center of border trade between Kazakhstan and China. Where is Khorgos located? Khorgos is a small (less than a thousand inhabitants) settlement in the Panfilov district of the Alma-Ata region of Kazakhstan.

On the border

To remain invisible to him forever, but history decreed that the village of Khorgos became a border point between the Russian Empire and the Chinese Empire of Ming.

The border was drawn here not by chance, but right along the Khorgos River, which gave the name to the village. The river is extremely mountainous. Not only is navigation on it impossible, but crossing it is life-threatening. That is why the Khorgos River became a natural boundary "wall": one hundred and sixty of its hundred and eighty kilometers long are the border. The source of the river is in the mountain glaciers of China, and it ends with the confluence of the Kazakh Ili River.

Only in the lower reaches in a small area across the river cancross safely. Here is the village of Khorgos. By the way, Khorgos is also on the opposite side, but Chinese.

Since the time of the agreement (1881) between the Russian Empire and the Ming Empire, the border still remains unchanged here. It was inherited by both the Soviet Union and independent Kazakhstan. Since that time, the border guards know where it is - Khorgos. As well as the border post and the checkpoint.

Where is Khorgos (Kazakhstan)?

Khorgos is located in the southeastern "corner" of Kazakhstan. Here is the center of cross-border cooperation.

International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation (ICBC)

The idea of transforming Khorgos into something more than just a checkpoint and customs came about after the mutual desire of Kazakhstan and China to conduct mutually beneficial trade and cooperation.

In December 2002, Kazakh President Nazarbayev, during a visit to China, signed an agreement on the establishment of Khorgos ICBC.

Already in July 2003, during the return visit of Chinese Prime Minister Hu Jintao, the Agreement on regulating the activities of the center was signed.

As part of the Agreement, Kazakhstan created a joint-stock company that de alt with the activities of the Khorgos border zone: the creation, development and use of the infrastructure of the Kazakh part of the zone, as well as attracting private investment.

In general, "Khorgos" is where the zone consists of two parts, located in the border areas of neighboring states. Generalzone area 560 ha.

The uniqueness of "Khorgos" in the so-called "Special transition". Persons, goods in the zone move without restrictions, without the need to draw up the necessary documents for the usual crossing of the Kazakh-Chinese border.

Earned "Khorgos" in 2012. Numerous shopping centers operate on its territory, many fairs and open bazaars have already taken place, where ordinary citizens acted as sellers and buyers. Almost one hundred percent of the turnover of goods from the Chinese side is consumer goods: clothing, haberdashery, and so on. Formally, you can buy goods here for the currency of both countries: for Kazakhstani tenge, and for Chinese yuan, as well as for American dollars. However, in reality, almost all transactions take place in the more economically powerful yuan. And most of the total number of sellers and goods in the Kazakh-Chinese Khorgos are Chinese. This makes it possible to quite comfortably exist here for numerous currency exchange offices.

However, not only money changers earn here. Chinese sellers practically do not speak Kazakh and Russian, which makes it possible for their assistants, Kazakhs, Russians and Uighurs, who can also speak Chinese, to earn some decent money.

In general, many shuttle buyers of Kazakhstan and ordinary citizens of the republic know where the Khorgos border zone is located.

Full commissioning of all Khorgos capacities is scheduled for 2018. Apart fromtrade zone, Khorgos intends to become a modern city with all the necessary infrastructure, it is planned to attract the scientific and innovative potential of China and Kazakhstan to the city. The plans for the further growth of Khorgos: this year is only a stage.

In general, Khorgos is moving towards integrating the regional international consumer goods market into a major center of the world economy. A powerful railway junction is also being built here. The answer to the question "Khorgos: where is this?" will soon be known to many.

Cooperation

China and Kazakhstan intend to be friends on all counts. Not only in Khorgos. Culture, economy, industry, defense and security, science, space… Cooperation is vital for both states. Even in the same area of Khorgos, the Khorgos River poses a serious danger as a source of mudflows that can lead to casu alties and destruction on both banks. Therefore, without joint monitoring of the river and the exchange of data, it will not be possible to prevent disasters, or even avoid them.

In general, Khorgos is where Kazakh-Chinese friendship develops.