China has expanded its pilot free trade zone network to 23 with the addition of a new one in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the latest move in the country's sustained push for high-standard opening-up, officials and experts said on Friday.

Yuan Xiaoming, assistant minister of commerce, said at a news conference that the policy of pilot FTZs will turn Inner Mongolia's geographic advantage as a bridgehead for China's northward opening-up into institutional strength, and strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries in trade, agriculture and tourism.

The pilot FTZ covers 119.74 square kilometers and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, Manzhouli, a northern border city, and Ereenhot, a land port on the China-Mongolia border, each featuring differentiated functions and the development of industries tailored to local conditions.

"For a long time, Inner Mongolia's exports have been dominated by primary resource products," said Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. "The pilot FTZ is now offering a pathway to break through this structural bottleneck."

Huang Zhiqiang, executive vice-chairman of the region, said that Inner Mongolia is a national base for energy and strategic resources, as well as a major production base for agricultural and livestock products.

The region will fully harness its competitive edges to accelerate the development of green processing, emerging industries and cross-border services, Huang added.

The Hohhot subzone, the largest of the three, will focus on strategic emerging industries including new energy, new materials, biomedicine and next-generation information technology. It will also develop specialty sectors such as green agricultural product processing, while fostering modern services like logistics and the digital economy.

The Manzhouli subzone, situated at a major land port on the China-Russia border, will prioritize industries that leverage its geographic advantages: value-added processing of imported resources, cross-border tourism, cross-border finance and port services.

The Ereenhot subzone, located on the China-Mongolia border, will focus on international trade, international logistics, cross-border tourism and international medical services.

"The development of pilot FTZs inherently encourages exploration of distinctive local models," Zhou noted. "Inner Mongolia's unique industrial, locational and economic resource advantages provide a solid foundation for such differentiated exploration."

For Inner Mongolia Wanrui Biotechnology, a company that has turned locally sourced horse serum into a booming export to Russia, the newly established pilot free trade zone in the region represents more than just policy support — it is a potential gateway to more global markets.

Wang Zhen, the company's public affairs director, said he expected authorities to explore the further delegation of administrative approval powers to help domestic companies obtain more international certifications.

"Such steps would help Chinese companies gain a greater say in the global market," Wang added.