Pak-China trade drives cross-border traffic surge at Khunjerab Pass— state media 

ISLAMABAD: Increasing trade between Pakistan and China caused a significant surge in cross-border traffic in the first half of 2024, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Wednesday. 

Pakistan and China opened the Khunjerab Pass for trade and travel in April 2024 after it remained closed for four months. Both sides had agreed in October 2023 to ensure the pass remained open for trade and travel throughout the year. 

Recognized as the highest paved international border at more than 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level, the Khunjerab Pass is closed during winter months because of harsh weather.

“The Khunjerab Pass in Xinjiang, China, experienced a significant rise in cross-border traffic in the first half of this year, with 21,000 travelers, representing a 110 percent year-on-year increase,” APP said. 

It said the border cleared 1,123 people in a single day on June 11, which was a new record. The APP said the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station attributes this remarkable growth to the increasing number of Pakistani traders and cross-border tourists. 

The APP credited increased travel enthusiasm among Chinese travelers to Beijing’s National Immigration Administration’s revised entry-exit policies, saying they had introduced a series of facilitation measures that boosted trade and travel. 

“Pakistani merchants have been actively transporting goods such as pine nuts, herbs, copperware, carpets, and jade crafts to China for sale, while bringing back daily necessities to Pakistan,” the report said. 

China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan. The two countries collaborate on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with more than $65 billion pledged for road, rail, and other infrastructure developments in the South Asian nation.