CGTN: From ‘potato capital’ to ‘token city’: How a city in north China is transforming

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire CGTN: From 'potato capital' to 'token city': How a city in north China is transformingAuthor of the article:CGTN published an article exploring how Ulanqab, a city in north China, is transforming its natural advantages into new growth drivers amid the global AI boom while balancing technological advancement and economic growth with ecological conservation to chart a path toward greener development.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountBEIJING, Oct. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ulanqab, a city in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is known as China’s “potato capital” and “oat capital.” Today, it is tapping its abundant wind and solar resources to power the growth of its computing industry, turning its natural advantages into new drivers of economic growth.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Since China launched its national “East Data, West Computing” project in 2022, Ulanqab has accelerated the development of its computing infrastructure. In late 2025, the city unveiled a three-year development strategy to build a “token city,” powered by green energy.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAccording to official data, the city had signed 109 computing center projects as of August 2026. From January to August, the industry generated 5.68 billion yuan (about $849 million) in revenue, up 40.3% year on year.Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Ulanqab on Friday, calling for better use of the region’s abundant wind and solar resources to develop the green computing power industry. He also stressed the need to coordinate high-quality development with high-level environmental protection and stay committed to a path of green development that prioritizes ecological conservation.From traditional industries to green computingDuring his inspection, Xi visited the Chahar High-Tech Development Zone in Ulanqab, where he learned about Inner Mongolia’s progress in advancing the construction of a hub for the “East Data, West Computing” project. He stressed the need to ensure the efficient operation of completed projects and finish the construction of follow-up projects on schedule.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.He also called for efforts to earnestly implement the requirements for efficient, green and safe development and actively promote the development of the green computing power industry.The “East Data, West Computing” project aims to build a coordinated national computing network by directing computing demand from eastern China to western regions, optimizing the distribution of data centers and promoting regional development. Inner Mongolia is one of eight national computing hubs established under the initiative.Computing centers require reliable power supplies, high-speed networks and efficient cooling systems. John Gong, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics, told CGTN that Ulanqab has made effective use of its abundant renewable energy resources to power China’s AI development and that Xi’s visit underscored his support for Ulanqab’s development model, which leverages local resource advantages to drive economic growth as well as technological innovation.With an average annual temperature of 4.3 degrees Celsius, the city can use natural cooling to reduce data-center energy consumption for nearly 10 months of the year. It also has abundant wind and solar resources and relatively low infrastructure costs. These advantages have enabled Ulanqab to attract leading big data companies, which have established computing centers in the city in just a few years.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.By expanding computing infrastructure in cities like this, China is leveraging its abundant renewable energy to forge a greener path for the computing industry.Prioritizing ecological conservationWhile harnessing green resources to drive economic growth and technological innovation, China has also placed strong emphasis on ecological conservation.Xi visited the Huangqihai Lake nature reserve on Friday, where he learned about local ecological conservation efforts, inspected the lake’s shoreline and mudflats, and observed birds inhabiting the area.He stressed the need to fully implement China’s wetland protection law, uphold ecological red lines and safeguard biodiversity. For degraded wetland ecosystems, he called for giving priority to natural restoration, supplemented by human intervention, and carrying out restoration in a scientific and sound manner.Huangqihai was once an inland, closed-basin lake that came close to drying up due to climate and other factors. In 1993, a county-level nature reserve was established to restore the wetland, and it was upgraded to an autonomous-region-level reserve in 2003.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.After years of ecological conservation and restoration, the lake has seen its waters and surrounding vegetation recover, becoming a thriving habitat for wildlife.From green computing to wetland restoration, Ulanqab illustrates how economic growth and ecological conservation can go hand in hand. By turning local resource advantages into new growth drivers while safeguarding its natural environment, the city demonstrates that green development has become deeply embedded in China’s pursuit of high-quality growth.CGTN Digital cgtn@cgtn.comThis advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.