Echoing the nation's call to establish a grasslands Silk Road economic belt, an international forum will begin on Friday in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The Grasslands Silk Road International Communication and Cooperation Forum is playing host to a number of ministry officials and those from cities along the silk road, as well as experts from research institutions and universities, and diplomats from Russia and Mongolia.

They will brainstorm their ideas and share their insights into the significance of regional development and the area's future development strategies.

In recent years, the Silk Road economic belt has been raised to a national level strategy, as it is considered vital to China's economic development and security.

The economic belt, stretching from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and linking neighboring countries, covers vast land areas, and boasts ample natural, mineral and land resources, which are key to the countries' geological and energy security.

The development of the economic belt will benefit regional collaboration, thanks to win-win cultural and trade exchanges with Russia and Mongolia.

Via the belt, China is expected to deepen its cooperation with other Eurasian countries and boost exports to Russia and Mongolia.

The acceleration of the regional cooperation for the economic belt will invigorate China's development of its western area and paves a new way for it playing a driving role in China's future economic growth.

The economic belt offers great development potential to Hohhot, the host city of the event. The city expects to best play a vigorous role amid the country's campaign to boost the economic belt.

It vows to boost presence in domestic and foreign market, facilitate trade and investment, deepen economic and technological cooperation, as well as promote economic and social development.

The city is looking to strengthen its economic development and answer the autonomous region's call to upgrade the city's economic restructure, deepen its trade collaboration and exchange with Russian and Mongolia, and play a better role as a hub for domestic and foreign trade.

It has also set its sights on opening a new chapter by serving more trade partners in European and Asian countries during the nation's new campaign to boost trade with the economic belt.

Yuanhui@chinadaily.com.cn