North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region will explore a new path of high-quality development that is oriented towards environmental priorities and green development, said Shi Taifeng, Party secretary of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee of the Communist Party of China, at the third session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, on May 22.

Inner Mongolia is an important ecological and environmental security barrier in northern China, with abundant grasslands, forests, lakes and wetlands resources.

Shi emphasized that Inner Mongolia must follow the inherent mechanism and laws of the ecosystem and coordinate systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, lakes and grasslands.

Shi also stressed organizing the implementation of major ecological restoration projects, further promoting the ecological comprehensive management of Hulun Lake, Wuliangsuhai Lake and Daihai Lake and winning the battle to prevent pollution.

Moving forwards, Inner Mongolia plans to deepen its supply-side structural reforms, focusing on changing from the extensive growth mode of selling primary products such as coal and rare earths. Officials said it will no longer take the old road of pollution first and then environment treatment .