The city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia joined eight other cities recently as government pilots for a second round of "science and finance merging" cities, a move that is expected to help it speed up development as a regional innovation and entrepreneurial center and a new industry - finance integration type center.

Its development strategy calls for the city to focus on changing its old industrial base, developing ethnic minority areas, and building a resource-based city over the next three years, and to continue its science – finance mergers through an industrial chain involving the government, banks, and venture investments for a more effective, interactive way to turn Baotou into a northern innovation and finance center.