BEIJING, Oct. 5 -- The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a highly organized paramilitary force, has been constantly improving its level of opening up, a Chinese government white paper said Sunday.

"The XPCC is vigorously developing its port economy and logistics industry," said the white paper on the history and development of the XPCC issued by the State Council Information Office.

It is also actively expanding its international markets in central Asia and Europe by exploiting its strengths in agricultural industry and processing of farm and sideline products as the variety and volume of its imports and exports gradually increase, according to the white paper.

Currently, the XPCC has five state-level economic and technological development zones and 24 industrial zones at autonomous region and Corps level, it said.

It has established economic and trade relations with more than 160 countries and regions and is carrying out economic and technological cooperation with more than 20 countries and regions.

In 2013, the XPCC's import and export volume totaled 11.591 billion U.S. dollars, with exports of 10.37 billion dollars and turnover in overseas contracted projects and labor service cooperation of 542 million dollars, figures from the white paper show.

As an important part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the XPCC is a special social organization which assumes the responsibilities entrusted to it by the state of cultivating and guarding the border areas, and operates an administrative system with unified Party, government, military and enterprise roles.

It is subordinated to the dual leadership of the central government and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the white paper.