More than six million people have checked in and out of the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center this year as of Friday, a 75 percent increase from the same period last year, according to data from the Center.
Located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center serves as a vital hub for trade and tourism between China and Kazakhstan.
The mutual visa exemption agreement between the two countries took effect on Nov. 10, 2023, allowing nationals from each country to stay in the other for up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.
Twelve manual inspection channels and ten express lanes at the Center are open daily to accommodate the peak passenger flow that begins early each morning.
Data from the Horgos entry-exit border checkpoint shows that the Cooperation Center sees an average daily traffic of over 20,000 people, with peak single-day numbers reaching as high as 37,000.
Home to over 200 duty-free shops, the Cooperation Center offers a vast selection of products across tens of thousands of categories, from handicrafts and clothing to specialty foods and high-tech items.
As the largest duty-free shopping zone in western China, it also stands as the world’s first cross-border free trade and investment cooperation zone.
Thanks to the Cooperation Center's preferential policies, prices in these duty-free shops are lower than elsewhere, attracting many tourists.
China-Kazakhstan border gate sees 75 pct annual increase in passenger traffic
African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.
They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.
Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.
"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.
EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.
"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.
With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.
African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra
