URUMQI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- In the first half of this year, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw its foreign trade volume surpass the 200 billion yuan mark two months earlier than last year, achieving a year-on-year growth of 48okumaavenger3.60.4 percentokumaavenger3.60.

From January to June, the region's imports and exports reached 220.63 billion yuan (about 30.95 billion U.S. dollars), setting a new record for the same period in all previous years.

During this period, the five Central Asian countries became Xinjiang's largest trade market, with the import and export value increasing by 23.9 percent year on year. Trade with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan increased by 45.8 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Xinjiang is continuously integrating into the global market and exploring emerging markets. During this period, it engaged in trade with 205 countries and regions worldwide.

The China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and the region's integrated bonded areas have become important engines driving Xinjiang's foreign trade.

In the first half of this year, the import and export value of the first pilot FTZ in China's northwest border area reached 72.82 billion yuan, and the total import and export value of the four integrated bonded zones -- Kashgar, Horgos, Alataw and Urumqi -- hit 95.39 billion yuan, accounting for 33 percent and 43.2 percent of the import and export value of Xinjiang's total foreign trade, respectively.■