Counties will rewrite growth in Inner Mongolia

The year 2026 marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. For the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the next chapter of high-quality development will not be written in large cities alone, but in county-level administrative divisions. Strengthening and optimizing the economy of its counties and banners is a key step for advancing coordinated development of different subregions during the period.

Many of Inner Mongolia's counties and banners are rich in natural resources and depend heavily on their extraction and processing for economic growth. For the next five years, these counties and banners need to pursue green development and transform their growth patterns. The autonomous region should encourage them to improve the efficiency of resource use, upgrade their traditional industries with green technologies, and develop large-scale coal chemical, smelting and clean energy projects by merging smaller plants.

Efforts are needed to accelerate the circular economy, promote the recycling of agricultural and pastoral resources, and support companies in converting byproducts from grain and oil processing into feed or bio-based materials.

Stricter environmental standards are needed to drive companies to increase investment in pollution control, change ways of production, take advantage of new technologies to recycle pollutants and strive to achieve near-zero emissions. This will promote cleaner operation of local resource-based industries, such as coal mining, coal chemicals and electrolytic aluminum, improving the environment and facilitating high-quality growth.

Inner Mongolia's vastness is both a challenge and an advantage. The autonomous region needs to improve its transportation infrastructure to boost coordinated development. More efficient highways, railways and air routes will help promote the development of industries in its eastern, central and western parts. The autonomous region should also work to form a "belt of growth" centered around the cities of Hohhot, Baotou and Ordos, and cultivate new growth poles.

The new development models of Jungar Banner and Ejin Horo Banner in the city of Ordos, both of which have registered a GDP of more than 100 billion yuan ($14.4 billion), provide valuable experience for other county-level administrative divisions to learn from.

The county-level administrative divisions should also take into account Inner Mongolia's industrial advantages, focus on developing strategic and emerging industries and make them the core driver of the economy.

They should work to build important energy bases, new chemical industry bases or non-ferrous metal processing bases according to the natural resources they possess and their locations, accelerate efforts to upgrade local industries and strengthen their competitiveness.

Agriculture too should move up the value chain. The county-level administrative divisions should strive to gradually change the traditional farming pattern, which relies heavily on the low cost of labor, land and other resources, and enhance efforts to process agricultural products and increase their added value.

A county-level administrative division needs to identify its special advantages based on its natural and cultural resources, industries and location, formulate appropriate strategies to develop its own brands and focus on nurturing one to two pillar industries. Through large-scale and standardized production, the pillar industries will in turn support the development of brands.

The government and companies should work together to find new ways to develop local brands, increase the popularity of corn, lamb and other local agricultural products through geographical indication certification and other methods.

Inner Mongolia enjoys a significant position in China's northward opening-up. It is a crucial node in the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and an important gateway for the country's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

As a result, the autonomous region should continue to actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road and the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor. It should also deepen cooperation across various fields with regions in Russia and Mongolia, as well as other parts of the world.

At the same time, efforts are required to improve the structure of the autonomous region's exports. It should reduce reliance on labor-intensive and intermediate goods stemming from primary processing of natural resources. The future lies in knowledge — and technology-intensive goods, which should account for a major part of Inner Mongolia's exports. In addition, the autonomous region should actively attract investment from large enterprises that are internationally competitive, and further explore international markets.

The author is a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and the dean of the School of Economics at Inner Mongolia Minzu University.

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

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