A China Eastern Airlines aircraft, on the maiden flight on the Shanghai-Kashgar route, waits on the tarmac before takeoff at Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport yesterday. Shanghai launched the flight, which has a stopover in Urumqi, as part of efforts to help boost development in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

SHANGHAI pledged to promote economic interaction with Kashgar, a city in the utmost west of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as a new flight route was launched yesterday between the two cities.

Shanghai will invest 9 billion yuan (US$1.33 billion) in Kashgar over the next five years, aiming to improve living, education and medical conditions there, said Chen Jing, who is in charge of a central government-initiated program in which Shanghai supports Kashgar to boost development in Xinjiang.

China Eastern Airlines operates the daily flight between the two cities on an Airbus A320 jet, which stops over in Urumqi, with the one-way trip lasting about 7.5 hours.

The maiden flight took more than 20 business people to Kashgar to explore the region's resources and investment environment. Twenty doctors were also on board to offer free health services for residents there.

"Kashgar is rich in natural resources and boasts close links with central Asian countries," Chen said. "More economic interaction will bring a win-win situation for both Shanghai and Kashgar."

The first return flight from Kashgar was scheduled to bring 20 cataract patients for treatment in Shanghai.

Also, each return flight from Kashgar will bring 3 tons of fruits and vegetables to Shanghai.

Kashgar is regarded as one of China's western gateways. It borders five countries and historically has made major contributions to cultural exchanges between the East and the West. The city was chosen as a special economic region in May, with the central government providing a massive package to boost development and stability in Xinjiang.

Under the program, 19 Chinese provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, are required to extend support to different areas in Xinjiang.

More than 30 companies in Shanghai, mainly private firms, have expressed interest in investing as much as 11 billion yuan in more than 20 projects to develop Kashgar's textile, food processing, and construction material industries.