At the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, an international freight train loaded with polyolefin products departed from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and moved along the ancient Silk Road to Uzbekistan. Xinjiang Chemical Co., Ltd. (Xinjiang Chemical), a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corporation Co., Ltd. (CHN Energy), has been actively advancing the Belt and Road initiative by deepening its expansion into Central Asia’s polyolefin market.
Going Global with Stable Shipments
Starting from scratch to achieving stable shipments, the chemical company has made a qualitative leap with its polyolefin exports hitting 38,800 tons in 2024.
In April 2025, the company sent an integrated research team composed of key members from production, technology, and sales departments to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. As their surveys deepened, a broader market landscape gradually unfolded. They found that Central Asia exhibits strong demand for polyolefin products, yet local production capacity remains limited, leading to a long‑term reliance on imports. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, almost completed at that time, would also shorten the transportation distance for Xinjiang’s chemical products.
Taking Root with Good Materials and Solutions
At a woven bag factory in Uzbekistan, technicians from Xinjiang Chemical worked alongside local employees by the drawing machine, meticulously adjusting parameters and observing the formation of the flat yarn. Xinjiang Chemical has established a rapid-response mechanism covering customer demand, product R&D and technological service. This system not only drives product upgrades, but also seamlessly integrates technical support into the sales process.
Xinjiang Chemical delivers more than just products. It provides a comprehensive solution that spans from production facilities to customer production lines. The model of “on-site process improvement” has been formalized, ensuring that clients in Central Asia receive technical services of the same standard as those available in China.
Growing Together with Systematic Operational Framework
At dusk, forklifts loaded polyolefin products marked with “CHN Energy” on a dedicated train bound for Central Asia. In the destination, Samarkand City, the newly arrived products were swiftly unloaded through a digital management system. Xinjiang Chemical’s dual advantages, brought by its location within the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone and proximity to a railway port, helped the company build an integrated logistics channel that connects its factory dedicated line, the border railway station and overseas storage facilities. Streamlined customs clearance also adds to the transportation efficiency. From January to November 2025, polyolefin exports exceeded 80,000 tons, surpassing the annual goal and setting a record high for the same period.
Transported along the Silk Road in the new era, these polyolefin products are now playing an important role across Central Asia in agricultural films, urban pipeline networks and medical supplies. Moving beyond product export to technology sharing, and from simple trade to ecosystem co‑creation, CHN Energy is weaving a magnificent new chapter on the Silk Road of today.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
