DUSHANBE, October 28, 2015, Asia-Plus -- A high-ranking delegation of the Chinese city of Urumqi will arrive in Dushanbe on October 31, according to the Dushanbe mayor’s office.

Urumqi is the sister city of Dushanbe and the main goal of the visit is for the delegation to discuss with Dushanbe officials state and prospect of further cooperation between Urumqi and Dushanbe in various fields, including industry and trade.

The delegation members reportedly include senior representatives of the Urumqi administration and top managers of six large industrial corporations.

While in Dushanbe, members of the Chinese delegation will meet with Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev and visit a number of local industrial enterprises to establish business contacts.

Urumqi (literally “beautiful pasture”, from the Dzungar Oirat language) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People''s Republic of China in Northwest China. Urumqi was a major hub on the Silk Road during China''s Tang dynasty, and developed its reputation as a leading cultural and commercial center during the Qing dynasty.

Urumqi is the largest city in China''s western interior.  Since the 1990s Urumqi has developed economically and now serves as a regional transport node, cultural, and commercial centre.

Urumqi is a major industrial center within Xinjiang.  Urumqi, together with Karamay and Korla, account for 64.5 percent of the total industrial output of Xinjiang.  Urumqi is also the largest consumer center in the region.  Urumqi has been a central developmental target for the China Western Development project that the Central Government is pursuing.

The Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair has been held annually since 1991 and has been upgraded into the first China-Eurasia Expo in 2011.  Its purpose is to promote domestic and foreign markets.