By Mo Honge

(ECNS) -- China has launched its 23rd pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Inner Mongolia, positioning it as a hub for cross-border trade and green computing, leveraging its border location and renewable energy resources.

Officially inaugurated on April 11, the zone marks a shift from the export-driven models of coastal FTZs, focusing on sectors where Inner Mongolia possesses inherent advantages, including border trade, agriculture and husbandry, energy, and, notably, green computing power.

A room of the China Mobile Hohhot Data Center in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (File photo / China News Service)

Zhao Fujun, a researcher specializing in international economic cooperation at the Development Research Center of the State Council, emphasized the zone's unique positioning.

"Inner Mongolia leverages the region's geographical and resource strengths — shared borders with Mongolia and Russia — and abundant renewable energy — to offer a differentiated value proposition to the global market."

A development plan issued by the State Council outlines measures to facilitate cross-border trade, including streamlined customs procedures and support for digital service exports. The Hohhot section will explore platforms for cross-border computing services

The plan also promotes integration of agriculture and cultural tourism, including the introduction of high-quality livestock breeds and the development of tourism linked to traditional Mongolian horse racing and wrestling.

A key pillar of the FTZ is its focus on green computing. Professor Cui Fan at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing said the initiative aims to build a computing power hub to support large-scale AI model training and related industries.

Backed by major border ports such as Erenhot and Manzhouli, the FTZ is expected to strengthen the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and expand regional trade and data cooperation.

Cui said Inner Mongolia's geographic position and proximity to Beijing could support the integration of domestic and international trade. He added that the region also holds potential in sectors such as agriculture, energy, green computing and pharmaceuticals.

The plan outlines five core functions for the zone: information exchange, transport and logistics, resource allocation, technological innovation and industrial cooperation.

Zhao said these functions will help attract talent, capital, information and data, forming a strong engine for regional economic development.

Cui also noted that Inner Mongolia's energy advantages are being converted into computing power capacity. "In 2025, the region ranked first nationwide in both the total scale of computing power and intelligent computing, further expanding its development potential," he said.