Inner Mongolia: Strategic Positioning of China's Northern Periphery

The article provides an overview of the current situation of China’s northern periphery — the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, regarding its economic dynamics, demographic parameters and current agenda. What is new is the consideration of the “strategic positioning” approach, when the region’s mission is defined in close connection with national interests. The author reveals the essence of the “five great tasks” assigned to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region by Xi Jinping: the creation of “two barriers”, “two bases” and “one bridgehead”. The first task — creating an “ecological barrier in the north of the country” — emphasizes the unique role of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the national environmental protection system. The second task — ensuring a barrier of security and stability — is based on the importance of maintaining national unity and tranquility on the northern borders. The third task — creating a national base of energy and strategically important resources — is associated with advanced practices in the production and supply of electricity, as well as deep processing of rare earth metals. The fourth task is aimed at creating a base for the production of agricultural products to ensure China’s food security. And the fifth task is to build a "bridgehead for opening up to the North", stimulating close cooperation with northern neighbors. Understanding the internal processes in adjacent to Russian regions China’s Inner Mongolia is extremely important for building international ties. Particular attention should be paid to the task of "openness to the North", which is gaining new impetus with the activation of Russia's "turn to the East". The counter movement of these strategies, coupled with the Mongolian "New Revival Policy", create favorable conditions for the construction of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.