The city of Baotou in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region exported 596,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to neighbor Mongolia through its Mandula border checkpoint or landport -- an increase of 177 percent year-on-year, according to Baotou Customs.

The total export value for the period reached 306,700 yuan ($43,617), customs officials said.

They said that most of the 65 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are developing countries with relatively scarce electricity and Mongolia is one of them.

Baotou is actively encouraging its power utilities to expand and help meet the power needs of foreign countries and is supplying electricity to the neighboring Mongolian province of Dornogovi via Mandurah landport.

Officials said the electricity is mainly being used by mining areas, ports and residents and is helping to cement and expand commerce between China and Mongolia.

With the Belt and Road Initiative and the continuous development of Mongolia's mining industry, it is expected that Baotou city's electricity exports to Mongolia will continue to expand, officials added.