Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will launch a series of measures this year to optimize its international business environment, focusing on enhancing trade and customs clearance efficiency and investment services.

Emphasis will be placed on strengthening legal and policy support to facilitate economic and trade cooperation between Xinjiang and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, especially those in Central Asia.

At a news conference in Urumqi on Wednesday, Wang Jin, deputy director of the Xinjiang regional department of justice, said the region will work to develop a legal service system suited for international business, improving legal service capabilities, commercial dispute mediation mechanisms, and the competitiveness of arbitration services, as well as enhancing training for legal professionals with foreign-related expertise.

Specific measures include accelerating the substantive operation of the Urumqi representative office of the Belt and Road International Legal Services Association and deepening exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao. She noted that the signing of an agreement in January to establish a Xinjiang-Hong Kong joint-venture law firm paves the way for exploring diverse cooperation models to bring higher-quality foreign-related legal service resources to Xinjiang.

Meanwhile, the department will support Xinjiang's arbitration institutions in establishing an overseas business presence, enabling local enterprises facing commercial disputes with their Central Asian counterparts to access convenient arbitration solutions.

According to Xinjiang's department of commerce, the region's actual utilized foreign capital reached $395 million last year, marking a year-on-year increase of 9.77 percent — the second-highest growth rate among the 12 provinces and regions in western China.

In 2025, the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone saw 11,659 newly established enterprises, up 23.8 percent year-on-year. Additionally, Xinjiang has introduced an implementation plan to build smart ports at key border crossings across the region.

Dong Bo, deputy director of the regional department of commerce, said this year they will implement lists of encouraged and prohibited items for government investment promotion, a negative list for cross-border service trade, a catalog of industries encouraged for foreign investment, and a tax credit policy for reinvested profits.

He added that the region will advance the development and operation of the China (Xinjiang) International Trade Single Window platform, organize roundtable meetings for foreign-invested and trade enterprises to address their concerns, and host the ninth China-Eurasia Expo. They will also accelerate port modernization and extend the operational hours of customs clearance at key road ports based on scientific assessments.

The measures mentioned above to optimize Xinjiang's international business environment are part of the region's 2026 action plan for improving the business environment. The plan aims to eliminate market barriers, optimize resource allocation, enhance administrative efficiency, strengthen legal safeguards, and facilitate trade and investment.

According to Wu Jun, deputy director of the Xinjiang regional development and reform commission, the action plan focuses on resolving the deep-rooted issues most keenly raised by business entities and those that most hinder development. The goal is to reduce overall costs for enterprises and encourage their participation in improving the region's business climate.