EECO Leads Delegation to Xinjiang, Advancing “Ecosystem-to-Ecosystem” Strategy to Connect Silk Road Logistics, Aviation, and Clean Energy with the Development of EEC and EECiti

EECO, led by Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Secretary General of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee (EECO), together with the executive team and EECO officials with Ethaitat International (Hong Kong) Limited (ETIT), travelled to Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China, from 8–16 August 2026 under the mission “EECO – Xinjiang: Strategic Innovation, Green Growth and Digital Silk Road Mission.” The visit aimed to strengthen strategic cooperation between the EEC and Xinjiang under the Ecosystem-to-Ecosystem Partnership framework, as well as to explore investment and technological cooperation opportunities in logistics and infrastructure, the digital economy, clean energy and advanced manufacturing, and finance and innovation.

The delegation met and held discussions with Mr. Zhu Lifan, Deputy Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, along with senior Xinjiang officials, including Mr. Xing Tao, Director-General of the Department of Commerce; Ms. Wang Xiaohui, Chairperson of CCPIT/CCOIC Xinjiang; Ms. Liu Haiying, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office; Mr. Su Ka, Commissioner of the Development and Reform Commission; Mr. Yang Kun, Deputy Director-General of Xinjiang SASAC; and Mr. Xu Yongqiang, Deputy General Manager of Xinjiang Airport (Group) Co., Ltd. Both sides identified potential for cooperation in three areas:

1. Silk Road Logistics – connecting the transport of agricultural goods and cold chain logistics with the Urumqi International Land Port Area, a rail hub linking 19 countries and 26 cities, equipped with Digital Customs and Smart Logistics Platform systems, to study transport routes for agricultural and industrial goods between Thailand – Xinjiang – Central Asia – Europe as a model for the EEC Logistics Hub and Multimodal Logistics.
2. Aviation Cooperation – with Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, the principal aviation hub for western China and Central Asia, currently serving over 25 million passengers per year and undergoing expansion to accommodate 63 million passengers. Both sides identified potential to develop tourism routes and air cargo links connecting U-Tapao – Ürümqi, including cold chain systems and a cargo terminal to support e-commerce and premium agricultural products, with both sides moving to advance point-to-point flight routes between Xinjiang – U-Tapao and Xinjiang – Bangkok, as well as direct flights between the two.
3. Clean Energy and BCG Innovation – from Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd., one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers (with a cumulative installed capacity of over 135 gigawatts across 40 countries), and TBEA Co., Ltd., a leader in power transmission systems for solar PV, wind power, and energy storage systems (operating in more than 70 countries). Both companies expressed interest in cooperation on wind power, energy storage systems (ESS), smart grid, and EPC, while exploring investment in renewable energy manufacturing and the clean energy supply chain in the EEC and EECiti, in line with the EEC’s target of increasing the share of clean energy to 30 percent.

In addition, the delegation visited and held discussions with other agencies and organisations to explore opportunities for cooperation in education, innovation, and related investment, including the Xinjiang University Technology Transfer Center, a national-level technology transfer centre responsible for intellectual property management and linking universities, industry, and government; YEMA Group Co., Ltd., a Xinjiang-based business group spanning finance, international trade, cultural tourism, and investment with a network covering Central Asia and Russia; and Xinjiang Software Park, a hub for Xinjiang’s digital industry and innovation, bringing together over 300 companies in information technology, software, AI, and digital services across four key industry clusters: Software, AI, Cloud, and Big Data.

This visit to Xinjiang marks EECO’s first concrete step in building cooperation with the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in logistics, aviation, clean energy, and innovation, strengthening the EEC’s role as Thailand’s gateway for trade and investment into Central Asia and Europe, and advancing the development of the EECiti project toward becoming a smart, liveable city that supports sustainable investment and quality of life.