The warehousing and logistics department of Kashgar Jiangguoguo Agricultural Sci-tech Company, commonly known as Jiangguoguo, bustles with activity.

"On average, we ship about 7,000 boxes of fruit daily to domestic and international customers, with numbers recently surging due to the Nov. 11 annual e-commerce sales event. During traditional festivals, deliveries can top 10,000 boxes per day," Liu Zhiying, general manager of the company, told China.org.cn. 

Jiangguoguo was founded in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in 2015. At present, the company's products cover dried fruits, snack food, drinks, seasonal fresh fruits and so on. The company started exporting its products to Belgium, Pakistan and other countries this year. 

In 2020, the company's sales exceeded 100 million yuan ($13.76 million) for the first time. The following year saw sales rise to 200 million yuan, then to 280 million yuan in 2022, and they are expected to surpass 350 million yuan this year.

The company's inception is a testament to different ethnic groups' mutual support.

In March 2015, Chen Wenjun, the chairman, arrived in Kashgar with the Guangdong Construction Group as part of the Xinjiang aid project, a central government initiative encouraging prosperous coastal regions to assist in developing areas like Xinjiang and Tibet.

"When I arrived in Kashgar, I discovered people here were incredibly honest and kind, offering us considerable help. The most impactful event occurred the night of June 30, 2015," Chen recalled. 

On that evening, after Chen's car broke down in a remote area, two Uygur youths helped tow it for nearly seven hours, seeking nothing in return. They said, "Buddy, we believe that when we encounter difficulties in the future, you will certainly help us as well."

This experience transformed Chen's perception of the region and his life's path. "Initially, I planned to work in Kashgar for a year or two and then return home. After that night, I decided to stay and assist locals in selling their specialties, such as fruits and vegetables," said Chen.

In November of that year, he established Jiangguoguo. Owing to Xinjiang's abundant sunshine, arid climate, and significant diurnal temperature variation, some of its local fruits and vegetables are considered the best in the world.

During the eight years since its inception, Jiangguoguo has not only prospered but also positively impacted local people and development. Chen's venture has supported local farmers in improving and upgrading fruit trees across 4,500 mu (300 hectares) of orchards, with all their produce being sold through the company. Jiangguoguo has bought 105,000 tons of local agricultural specialties, aiding 50,000 farmers in boosting their incomes.

Moreover, the company organizes more than 200 agriculture and marketing-related training sessions annually, benefiting more than 50,000 local residents. It has also signed cooperation agreements with 76 cooperatives and created more than 3,500 jobs for local residents. Farmers from 146 families have become shareholders of the company, pocketing a cumulative dividend of 1.2 million yuan over the years. 

"Our company has three goals: the industrial cluster to exceed 10 billion yuan in production value, to help more than 1 million households, and to continue doing business for more than 100 years," Chen discussed his future plans for the fruit business, which sees more opportunities as the Belt and Road Initiative has transformed Xinjiang from a rear region to the forefront of opening up to the world. 

Currently, the company employs 405 people, of whom 360 are ethnic minorities, representing 90% of the workforce. 

Abdureim Kamili, a native Kashgar farmer from Shufu County, is currently a team leader in the warehousing and logistics department. After graduating from high school, he had been farming at home, earning about 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per year.

Four and a half years ago, he was introduced to work at Jiangguoguo by a friend. Due to his outstanding performance, he became a shareholder of the company in his second year. Three years after joining the company, he was promoted to team leader of 18 people. Now, he has a steady income of at least 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month, which can increase to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan during busy seasons.

Speaking of the changes his job has brought to his life, Kamili said, "The government built a house for us in the village for free. Now I have bought a house and a car in Kashgar. My daughter goes to school in Kashgar. Life has become so good!"

Dilibel Aini, a Uygur woman born in 1997 from Akto County of Kashgar, worked in hospitals as a pharmacist after graduating from college. Later, by chance, she joined Jiangguoguo and became a saleswoman.

The hard-working woman became a shareholder in her second year at the company and quickly rose to become a sales manager. She is now the company's model employee and star salesperson. The monthly sales revenue of her team can reach up to 1.5 million yuan, and her average monthly income can exceed 20,000 yuan. 

One year after working in Jiangguoguo, Aini bought a house in her hometown of Akto and paid off the mortgage of more than 300,000 yuan in the second year. She also bought a car and drives to work daily. 

"I used to bring my daughter to the company to see my work, an eye-opening experience for her, and it seemed to have influenced her future aspirations," Aini said. "She told me she will study hard to attend a prestigious university to secure a good job like mine. That makes me very proud."

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