In recent years, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has aligned with the domestic and international "dual circulation" model, issuing 17 supporting policies that have deepened regional cooperation and energized its efforts to become a high-quality gateway to the north.

Expanding international cooperation

Foreign trade channels continued to grow. From January to October 2025, Inner Mongolia's import-export volume reached 175.13 billion yuan ($24.67 billion), up 2.2 percent, while cross-border e-commerce transactions surged 90.1 percent to 3.64 billion yuan.

For the first time, the region allocated 27.1 million yuan in foreign trade funds to support processing industry projects, forming three border-linked processing clusters.

All 85 key port-development projects broke ground. Of which, the Arxan port passed national inspection to become Inner Mongolia's fourth year-round international land port. Ganqimaodu was approved as a national logistics hub, and construction began on the Ganqimaodu–Gashuunsukhait cross-border railway. The China–Mongolia Ereenhot–Zamyn-Uud economic cooperation zone also advanced steadily.

From January to October, cargo throughput at Inner Mongolia's ports reached 112 million metric tons — an 11.77 percent increase — maintaining its lead among all provincial-level land border regions in China.

Strengthening domestic cooperation

Inner Mongolia hosted major events, including the Fifth China-Mongolia Expo and the Third Economic and Trade Fair for China's Northward Opening-up. Targeted investment missions by industrial departments and local authorities helped attract 490.7 billion yuan in domestic capital in the first 10 months of 2025, up 13.4 percent. Key regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area contributed 342.74 billion yuan, an 11.4 percent increase.

Deepening Beijing–Inner Mongolia cooperation

The two regions jointly carried out 321 science and technology projects. More than 1,700 medical experts from Beijing served 3.75 million patients in Inner Mongolia. Sales of Inner Mongolian products to Beijing reached 30.2 billion yuan, while labor-cooperation programs helped 60,000 herders and farmers increase their incomes.

Enhancing regional synergy

To promote balanced development across the region, Inner Mongolia convened coordination meetings for its eastern, central, and western zones and introduced six policy packages, including measures to boost high-quality development in eastern and western areas and in the Hohhot–Baotou–Ordos–Ulaanqab urban cluster. Its commerce department followed with 40 implementing actions to cultivate new drivers of regional growth.