In Tacheng, a city in China's Xinjiang region, a wave of intelligent transformation is sweeping through key sectors like logistics and agriculture, driven by expertise and support from northeastern China.
Visitors to the Smart Logistics Digital Collaborative Center at Tacheng Vocational and Technical College find themselves in a scene reminiscent of a modern logistics hub. Students manage warehouse operations with clicks of a mouse, simulate package sorting and packing using VR headsets, and observe smart robots autonomously transporting goods between shelves. The college launched its logistics program in 2024, enrolling its first 100 students, with 70-80% hailing from southern Xinjiang.
One such student, Ekdan Abulajiang, chose to study here. "The comprehensive theoretical and practical training I received here has greatly enriched my understanding of logistics. I want to work in warehouse management in the future," she said. This year, the inaugural class of students like her will begin internships at companies such as JD.com and SF Express, creating a seamless transition from campus to career.
This development is strategically aligned with local needs. The Bakhtu Port, located just 13 kilometers from the city center with over 260 years of trade history, serves as a vital link between China, Central Asia, and Europe. From January to July 2025, the port handled 408,000 tons of import and export cargo, marking a 6.4% year-on-year increase. "We established this program precisely to meet the development needs of Tacheng's logistics industry," explained Ma Mengru, head of the Modern Logistics Management teaching and research group at the college.
Yu Haifeng, a teacher from the support program working at the college's Modern Border Trade Service Institute, recalled that upon arrival, the logistics faculty was relatively young and lacked teaching and competition experience. The support team focused on three key areas: cultivating young teachers, building teaching bases, and enhancing vocational education. A mentorship system has proven effective, with students now beginning to excel in Xinjiang's vocational skills competitions.
A parallel intelligent transformation is taking root in the fields. At the Bakhtu Base of the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences Tacheng Branch—the first provincial-level academy branch established in Xinjiang through the support program—over 1,000 new agricultural varieties, including apples and strawberries, undergo rigorous screening. After years of wintering experiments, the 'Yueyanghong' apple variety has stood out for its cold and heat resistance, excellent coloration, and taste.
"Many enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers are now taking saplings from us to establish orchards. The next focus is to scale up industrial application," said Wang Zhigang, deputy dean of the institute. He noted that Tacheng's distance from core markets leads to high transport costs, making local heirloom varieties less competitive against mainstream produce. Previously grown on a small scale with limited market potential, these varieties yielded poor economic returns. Wang Zhigang stated that the local industry needs to pursue a mid-to-high-end development path.
Building on variety breeding, the team is also developing organic production protocols. The next step involves leveraging the area's natural advantages to establish large-scale organic fruit production zones and create mid-to-high-end agricultural products.
Strawberry grower Gao Xinjian is one beneficiary. Previously farming strawberries in southern Xinjiang, he now manages a multi-level picking garden spanning over four acres, equipped with integrated water-fertilizer systems and smart sensors. "We trust the varieties introduced by Dean Wang because he is a professional," Gao said. His calculations show an annual increase in income of 50,000 yuan per acre, a change that brings him genuine satisfaction.
"After coming here, I feel a sense of being needed," Wang Zhigang remarked. He emphasized that the ultimate goal of the technological support program is to deliver tangible benefits to the people and provide sustainable momentum for local industry. This relay of intellectual support, stretching from northeast to northwest China and spanning smart logistics to modern agriculture, is quietly reshaping this small border city in China's far northwest.