North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has experienced leaps in foreign trade since 1978 when China started to open up to the outside world.

It chalked up US$5.95 billion of imports and exports last year, compared with US$16 million in 1978 when China embarked on the road of reform and opening-up, according to statistics of the region's commerce department.

Trade with Mongolia and Russia rose by 57.9 percent and 30.5 percent year-on-year to US$580 million and US$2.29 billion respectively last year.

China shares a 4,221-km-long borderline with Mongolia and Russia in Inner Mongolia, which has opened 18 border trade outlets. Top border trade outlets include Erenhot, Manzhouli and Ceke.

Manzhouli, situated on the Sino-Russian Border, now does 60 percent of the country's Sino-Russian bilateral trade by land.

According to the region's commerce department, Inner Mongolia does 40 percent of the country's foreign trade with Mongolia.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)