Inner Mongolia's chances in connectivity and collaboration

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China's "northern gateway", holds a strategic position, bordering Mongolia and Russia. Its elongated, ribbon-like shape spans the northern frontier and connects eight provincial-level regions, making it a crucial domestic and international connector.

The central authorities encourage the region to take an active part in the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative and elevate the level of opening-up to the north. Inner Mongolia has developed an action plan to implement this strategic vision. It can position itself as a multidimensional hub in China's coordinated opening efforts by capitalizing on land-sea and east-west integration opportunities and utilizing the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

This involves establishing a high-standard FTZ by aligning with international trade rules and gradually expanding institutional openness. Strengthening Belt and Road cooperation and advancing the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor through development plans will enhance strategic alignment between China and Mongolia.

This will foster high-quality collaboration on projects and expand partnerships in the sectors of mining, energy, industry, infrastructure, connectivity, green development, the digital economy and agriculture.

To enhance its opening-up platforms, Inner Mongolia should upgrade key ports such as Manzhouli, Ereenhot, Ganqimaodu, Ceke and Mandula. It should also expedite the development of the China-Mongolia Ereenhot-Zamyn-Uud Economic Cooperation Zone and the Manzhouli industrial cooperation park, while completing and operationalizing the Mandula and Ganqimaodu border trade zones.

Additionally, cross-border connectivity can be improved through coordinating railway and highway development, piloting "port-to-destination" customs declarations in advance, and establishing new overseas warehouses to enhance cargo consolidation and return loads.

Equally important is the expanding of the open economy by targeting markets in Central Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, etc. This includes broadening cooperation in the digital economy, tourism, agriculture, healthcare and education to enhance international engagement.

Hohhot, Manzhouli, and Ereenhot have been assigned nationally significant roles in the region's opening-up strategy. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, Hohhot expanded its trade and economic ties to 185 countries and regions. The number of China-Europe Railway Express trips has increased hundredfold over the past four years, with Hohhot accounting for the greatest number of originating trains within the autonomous region. The city has earned recognition as a key node on the China-Europe railway network and a spot among China's top 100 foreign-trade cities.

Manzhouli is infusing new energy into its development as an international inland port by upgrading its road and rail cargo facilities. The city's road port leads in piloting round-the-clock freight clearance, intelligent port management and online cross-border e-commerce platforms. Its foreign trade value has exceeded 10 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) for three consecutive years.

Strengthened by regular meetings through the Manzhouli-Zabaykalsky Krai consultation mechanism and the presence of a Mongolian consulate, Manzhouli maintains strong trade cooperation with neighboring regions.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Manzhouli aims to solidify its role as a strategic pivot in China's northward opening, serving as a comprehensive hub along the northeast corridor of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and evolving into a modern port city that integrates port, industry and urban development.

Ereenhot is home to 1,228 foreign trade entities and accounts for half of Inner Mongolia's and nearly one-third of China's trade with Mongolia. Seventeen percent of the national total of China-Europe freight trains pass through Ereenhot. Following the approval of a China-Mongolia economic cooperation zone and its administrative body, the border trade by local residents exceeds 2.3 billion yuan, comprising over 70 percent of the region's total from 2021 to 2025.

In 2025, Ereenhot's actual utilized foreign investment reached 12.05 million yuan, ranking first in the Xiliin Gol League. Its border trade has surpassed 820 million yuan, placing it first among the northern ports.

Despite its achievements, Inner Mongolia faces significant challenges in its opening-up efforts. Foreign trade remains modest, and deeper integration into the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor is needed. The region is making efforts to develop more local value added businesses so as to change the situation that goods merely pass through the region without generating lasting benefits for the region.

Hohhot's infrastructure connectivity has weak points, Manzhouli needs to open up further and Ereenhot must improve its transport links. In this context, it is crucial for Inner Mongolia to stay committed to its development course and intensify its efforts to open up. There are some crucial roles Inner Mongolia can play.

First, to promote good-neighborly and friendly cooperation with neighboring countries in the north, such as advancing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and the China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partnership, while practicing the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries, and promoting converging interests.

Equally important is the promotion of people-to-people connectivity. With Inner Mongolia sharing a contiguous border and close people-to-people kinship with Mongolia, the region is uniquely positioned to foster sustained cooperation in areas such as culture, tourism, healthcare, education, sports, and ecology with Mongolia. Through persistent efforts, Inner Mongolia can strengthen bonds between the two peoples as their economic ties deepen.

No border region should be left behind in the country's modernization efforts; instead, it should be integrated into the strategy for coordinated regional development by leveraging its natural advantages.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the central leadership has articulated a series of key principles emphasizing sound governance, high-quality development, and security and defense in border areas. These initiatives, adopted by central authorities with a strategic focus on national governance, have led to significant achievements in China's border management.

Realizing this also needs strong strategic and policy support from major national initiatives, including the large-scale development of the western region, the full revitalization of Northeast China, ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, and the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Inner Mongolia falls within the framework of large-scale development of the western region, where it should establish strong economic ties with other western provincial-level areas and form deep complementarity and embeddedness to boost high-quality development.

Considering that it borders three northeastern provinces, it should leverage and align with the revitalization of Northeast China. As a neighbor to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Inner Mongolia can proactively pursue integration into the region's coordinated development.

The deep strategic cooperation between Inner Mongolia and Beijing, too, holds significant importance. By 2025, their partnership had yielded tangible results, with capital, medical expertise, educational resources and technology from Beijing flowing into Inner Mongolia, while Inner Mongolian products and green energy made their way to Beijing, creating a true two-way exchange.

Collaborating with other provincial-level regions along the Yellow River to promote ecological conservation and high-quality development is a key priority for Inner Mongolia .

The region should also enhance exchanges and cooperation with more developed areas such as the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. Additionally, Inner Mongolia should actively embrace industrial relocation from these regions and attract capital, technology and talent.

Efforts are already underway. Hohhot is developing a computing power corridor that connects Inner Mongolia with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, while also advancing smart manufacturing and low-altitude economy industrial parks in collaboration with the Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, Ereenhot is fostering industrial collaboration with Shenzhen's Qianhai area in Guangdong province, exploring new models for inter-regional cooperation.

Currently, the imbalance between the eastern, central and western parts of Inner Mongolia remains a significant challenge that must be addressed to optimize its internal economic layout and enhance coordinated development. To tackle this, the region has devised plans and strategies that assign clear functional roles to each area: accelerating development in the east, fostering integrated growth in the central belt and encouraging transformation in the west.

Leagues and cities in eastern Inner Mongolia should prioritize comprehensive revitalization, focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry, specialty industries, tourism, and a port-centric economy. At the same time, they should address deficiencies in transport, logistics, and other infrastructure by increasing investment.

Central Inner Mongolia forms the backbone of the region's economy and should serve as its main engine. First, the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Ulaanqab cluster, as the core area for deep regional economic cooperation and integration, requires special attention and investment.

Second, the development of the Hohhot metropolitan area should fully leverage its unique role as an economic hub and growth pole, helping to unify and enhance the influence of the entire Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Ulaanqab cluster.

Western Inner Mongolia should aim for transformative development to enhance long-term sustainability. Baotou, as an old industrial base, should reinvent itself through innovation to establish modern industrial and manufacturing systems. Meanwhile, Wuhai, a resource-depleted city, should pursue a green transition path. Both transformations require strategic breakthroughs in innovation aligned with modern industrial development.

The author is member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a distinguished researcher at the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies of the CASS.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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