Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region broke ground for the construction of a border trade zone Friday to boost trade between local residents and their foreign neighbors.

Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, which hosts the project on the Pamirs Plateau in southern Xinjiang, borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

The trade zone, built with an investment of 100 million yuan (about 16 million U.S. dollars), covers an area of 99 mu (about 6.6 hectares). It comprises functional areas for commerce, trade, tourism, dining and accommodations respectively.

Joint inspection units and other law-enforcement departments will be stationed in the zone.

When it is completed, the project will provide 300 jobs for local people and create nearly 20 million yuan taxes annually for the local government, said Yu Jun, deputy head of the county.

The trade zone will help increase incomes of farmers and herdsmen, boost tourism, and promote the Silk Road economic belt and economic cooperation between China and neighboring countries, added Yu.