BEIJING:
The Kashgar International Airport set to become the first and only
designated entry point for fruit imports in the south of China's
Xinjiang province has enlarged its storage capacity to accommodate
maximum quantity of Pakistani fresh fruits.
The Local news site
Iyaxin.com reported the airport received official approval for the
designation from the country's General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Feb. 12.
"As of
now, there are over a dozen storages in the airport, with each holding a
capacity for more than 100 cubic meter of fruits. This shows Kashgar
airport's considerable storage capacity," Kashgar Entry-Exit Inspection
And Quarantine Bureau Prepatory Office prefectural-level Director Kejian
Wang was quoted as saying.
"From now on, Pakistani mango and
citrus exporters can be assured of sufficient storage rooms after their
products left Pakistan," Wang told the publication.
Yimit Resuri,
Deputy Director at the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Inspection And Quarantine
Bureau told newspaper Xinjiang Daily that citrus and mangoes from
Pakistan, and cherries from Tajikistan are currently allowed into China.
Wang added that transportation time for Pakistani fruits to China would also be significantly cut down.
"Before
the establishment of the new entry point, imported fruits from Pakistan
must be carried on ground transportation through the Khunjerab Pass.
This long land route poses high risk of transportation damage to the
fruits. In contrast, with the new air entry point, Pakistani fruits can
quickly arrive in Kashgar after a 70-minute flight," Wang was quoted as
saying.
The Kashgar Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau is
working closely with the Kashgar airport, Pakistani-based Rayyan
Airlines and a variety of international trade firms on the promotion of
the new import options.
Currently, there are two other fruit
import entry points in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region the Urumqi
International Airport and the Khunjerab Pass.
The provincial-level
Xinjiang Entry-Exit Inspection And Quarantine Bureau after inspection
released a statement announcing that it had passed the required approval
tests for the storage.
