The second joint meeting of the Inner Mongolia-Shanxi-Hebei cooperation triangle opened in Datong, Shanxi province on August 18, to discuss regional cooperation and integration into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative development program.

The Inner Mongolia-Shanxi-Hebei cooperation triangle is a regional cooperation initiative involving three cities, including Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia, Datong in Shanxi province and Hebei’s Zhangjiakou.

The joint meeting was organized by the three cities with the first session held in Ulanqab. Mayors of the three cities basically agreed on the plan of Inner Mongolia-Shanxi-Hebei (Ulanqab-Datong-Zhangjiakou) cooperation triangle at this year’s session.

The three cities are not only located on the juncture of the three regions, but also are rich in energy resources and have strong energy industrial chains. They are complementary in industrial development, which paves the way for the regional cooperation.

The state has placed high importance on this cooperation triangle and upgraded it into a national development strategy this year, after it was included in the outline of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative development program.

Cooperation has been increasing among the three regions, especially the three cities from last year. To date, there have been 36 cooperation projects between the cities, with total investment of 19 billion yuan ($2.97 billion).

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Hebei were present at the joint meeting.