(Handout via Xinhua Daily)

The Jiangsu Central Asia Center was inaugurated on September 11 and is poised to serve as an important platform for economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the province and Central Asia.

The center, co-developed by SOHO Holdings Group and Xuanwu District of Nanjing, will focus on five main functions.

First, it will provide trade, financial and investment services for enterprises, deepen strategic cooperation with QazTrade, a trade promotion agency in Kazakhstan, and bring in Central Asian enterprises.

Second, it will showcase Central Asian culture and offer cultural, business and tourism services to facilitate exchanges.

Third, it will spur the development of cross-border e-commerce by promoting high-quality Chinese products through Central Asian platforms like Kaspi and Ozon, and facilitate import of premium consumer goods through JD.com and Douyin app. The center also aims to support online trade of new energy vehicles while integrating with on-site business.

Fourth, it will support technology exchanges between companies, particularly in the fields of textiles, agriculture and auto parts.

Fifth, the center will provide a platform to showcase advantageous products and cutting-edge innovations, and will facilitate business negotiations and cooperation.

The Jiangsu Central Asia Center will leverage sources including border and overseas warehouses, international teams and freight trains to boost trade between Jiangsu and Central Asia.

In recent years, Jiangsu has seen rapid growth in trade, investment cooperation and cultural exchanges with Central Asia. In the first quarter of this year, Jiangsu’s total imports and exports with the region exceeded 7.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 77.6%. This included imports surpassing 3.2 billion yuan, marking a growth of 513.5%.