Inner Mongolia reports fast industrial growth since 1978

Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China's leading coal and dairy producer, has seen its industrial sector taking off since China implemented the reform and opening-up policy 40 years ago, according to the local government.

The industrial added value of the region increased from less than 2.2 billion yuan ($320 million) in 1978 to 510.9 billion yuan in 2017, the region's industry and information technology department said in its latest update.

The region has been a major producer of coal, calcium carbide, and monocrystal silicon in China. Mengniu Dairy and Yili Group are heavyweights in the dairy sector.

The region's coal production capacity exceeded 1.33 billion tonnes in 2017, ranking first in China.

But in order to reduce its over-reliance on coal, the region has managed to raise the value of non-coal industries, such as wind and solar power generation, to account for 75 percent of its total industrial growth in 2017, the department said.

The region's installed electricity capacity reached 118 million kilowatts last year, ranking second in the country. During the 1978-2017 period, the region's power generation increased by 116 times.