According to Xinhua and the Party journal Qiushi, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party and president, inspected Ulanqab city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on October 16. His first stop was the Huangqihai nature reserve in Chahar Right Wing Front Banner, followed by the Chahar high-tech development zone, where he reviewed the green computing industry and local farm and livestock products. He was accompanied by regional Party chief Wang Weizhong, regional chairman Bao Gang and Vice Premier He Lifeng, the reports said.

What Xi Stressed at Huangqihai

Xinhua describes Huangqihai as an enclosed inland lake with no outflow that, because of climate and other factors, once came close to drying up. Xi heard reports on lake-area environmental management and ecosystem restoration and viewed the shoreline flats and resident birds in person.

Xi said the key to wetland protection is preserving the original ecology, and called for full implementation of the Wetland Protection Law, strict observance of ecological red lines, better ecosystem quality and stability, and protection of biodiversity. Degraded wetlands, he said, should be restored scientifically, relying mainly on natural recovery with human intervention as a supplement. A Xinhua commentary said local authorities have reduced human interference and carried out 44 projects, including dredging waterways and restoring vegetation, with the water area gradually recovering and bird and plant numbers rising.

The same commentary quoted local officials as saying that water area, water quality and aquatic ecology still need sustained effort, which means the results are phased rather than complete. This newspaper could not independently verify water-quality data or the lake’s current surface area.

Continuity in Ecological Policy and Background

Xinhua linked the visit to Xi’s June 2023 trip to Lake Wuliangsuhai in Bayannur, saying his ecological concern has been consistent. Wuliangsuhai is presented as a lake whose water quality has improved markedly and which has become an important migratory-bird stopover. Beijing has promoted integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grassland and desert. Xi also gave instructions on the integrated management of Hulun Lake, Wuliangsuhai and Daihai during the 2018 and 2019 national legislative sessions.

Xi said green development is an inherent requirement of high-quality development, and urged coordination of growth with high-level protection, advancing carbon reduction, pollution control, greening and growth together. This continues China’s ecology-first line in shelterbelt programs such as the Three-North project and in desertification control. Inner Mongolia has extensive desert, grassland and arid land, and is particularly sensitive to climate change and water scarcity.

At the Chahar zone Xi reviewed Inner Mongolia’s work on a hub node of the East Data West Computing program and on green computing. He asked that completed projects run efficiently, that follow-up construction finish on schedule, and that the industrial chain be extended, stressing coordination of computing with power and with water. The west offers abundant renewable energy and land for data centers, though such facilities need large amounts of electricity and water, so balancing them with ecological protection is a question observers raise.

Xi also said regions differ in resources and should pursue high-quality development suited to local conditions and comparative advantages. Viewing local farm and livestock products, he encouraged better links between production and sales to raise herders’ and farmers’ incomes. By pairing wetland conservation with a digital industry in one region, the trip offers two things to watch: the results of the lake restoration and the operation of the computing hub.