Chifeng-Tongliao ‘Gemini Constellation’ Partnership: A New Urban Powerhouse Rising in Eastern Inner Mongolia

When discussing urban clusters in Inner Mongolia, people typically think of the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos triangle or the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Wuhai quartet. However, the 11th Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Party Congress report revealed an exciting development: Chifeng and Tongliao in eastern Inner Mongolia are being positioned as a “Gemini Constellation” within the region’s urban framework. This strategic pairing promises to create powerful synergies in regional center construction, sparking new possibilities for collaborative development.

The Eastern Inner Mongolia Gemini Partnership

While central Inner Mongolia focuses on the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Wuhai urban cluster, eastern Inner Mongolia now has its own power duo. The regional development strategy explicitly identifies Chifeng and Tongliao as complementary cities that will drive growth through coordinated planning and resource sharing.

The partnership was officially launched in July when both cities signed a collaborative development memorandum, committing to jointly create a growth engine that will lead high-quality development throughout eastern Inner Mongolia. This “twin cities” initiative marks the beginning of an ambitious regional transformation story.

Historical Foundations of the Chifeng-Tongliao Partnership

Chifeng: The Regional Hub

Located in eastern Inner Mongolia bordering Liaoning and Hebei provinces, Chifeng has undergone significant transformation. Formerly known as Ju Ud League until 1983, it evolved from a small city to a medium-sized urban center with 560,000 urban residents by 1990. The city’s development accelerated with new urban district construction starting in 2003, followed by the Qiaobei New Area in Hongshan District and Songbei New City in Songshan District. Today, Chifeng stands as the recognized regional center of eastern Inner Mongolia.

Tongliao: The Strategic Crossroads

Similarly positioned in eastern Inner Mongolia adjacent to Jilin and Liaoning provinces, Tongliao has a distinctive administrative history. Previously known as Jirem League, it was transferred between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province before finally returning to Inner Mongolia in 1979. The city gained its current status in 1999 when Jirem League was abolished and Tongliao was established as a prefecture-level city.

Tongliao’s strategic location earned it designation as a regional logistics node city by the State Council, alongside major northeastern cities like Harbin, Changchun, and Shenyang. The national Northeast Revitalization Strategy provides additional momentum for Tongliao’s development.

Complementary Strengths of the Gemini Cities

Chifeng’s Demographic and Economic Advantages

With a population of 4.036 million residents (2020 data), Chifeng is the most populous city in Inner Mongolia. Its GDP of 176.36 billion yuan ranks fourth in the region, behind only Ordos, Hohhot, and Baotou. As the closest Inner Mongolian city to Beijing, Chifeng enjoys irreplaceable geographical advantages.

The city’s transportation infrastructure has seen remarkable development with high-speed rail connections, airport expansion, and an extensive highway network. Chifeng now boasts a comprehensive land-air-sea transportation system with expressway mileage leading the autonomous region.

Tongliao’s Specialized Capabilities

Tongliao’s population of 2.873 million residents places it third in Inner Mongolia, behind Chifeng and Hohhot. The city’s 2020 GDP reached 127.66 billion yuan, with growth rates exceeding the regional average.

Transportation achievements include the first high-speed rail connection in Inner Mongolia linking to the national network and an airport handling over 1 million passengers annually. Tongliao leads in power generation capacity (13.4076 GW) with 43.4% from renewable sources, earning designation as a national pilot city for modern energy. The city also produces over 50% of China’s Mongolian medicine, rightly earning the title “Capital of Chinese Mongolian Medicine.”

Together, Chifeng and Tongliao account for 54% of eastern Inner Mongolia’s economic output, concentrating the region’s innovation resources, industrial clusters, and high-end talent—positioning them perfectly to lead high-quality development throughout eastern Inner Mongolia.

A New Chapter for the Eastern Inner Mongolia Gemini

The collaboration memorandum signed in July outlines cooperation across four key areas: ecological and environmental protection, industrial upgrading, infrastructure development, and public services.

Ecological and Environmental Cooperation

The cities will jointly advance pollution prevention and control, establishing an ecological security barrier for eastern Inner Mongolia. They will create a long-term mechanism for water management in the Xiliao River Basin, ensuring water security for northern China’s ecological protection.

Industrial Collaboration

The partnership will implement differentiated industrial policies for coal power, wind power, solar photovoltaic power, and metallurgy. They will work to establish a national-level industrial transfer cooperation demonstration zone while collaborating on beef cattle, sheep, corn, coarse cereals, and vegetable seed source development. Additional cooperation areas include Mongolian medicine cultivation, brand building, regional logistics networks, and tourism development.

Infrastructure Integration

Joint efforts will focus on incorporating the “Three Norths” high-speed rail corridor into national planning and highway projects into regional planning. The cities will connect adjacent villages and towns by eliminating “dead-end roads,” rationally plan general aviation development, and jointly promote optimization and upgrading of energy and strategic resource bases.

Public Service Coordination

Collaboration will extend to basic and vocational education, hospital and university partnerships, medical insurance coordination, and housing fund interoperability. The cities will jointly create “Meng-brand” medicine products, build a talent highland in eastern Inner Mongolia, strengthen cultural exchanges, and improve emergency response systems.

The Future of Urban Clusters in China’s Regional Development

Urban clusters have become the primary spatial form of regional development in China. For the Chifeng-Tongliao “urban circle” in eastern Inner Mongolia, this represents an unprecedented development opportunity. Their cooperation not only but also injects stronger momentum into the economic development of eastern Inner Mongolia. This Gemini constellation of cities is poised to drive the rise of a new economic power in China’s northern region.