Published by ChinaMNC · Tongliao

Tongliao’s Long Green Campaign: What Foreign Founders Can Learn from a 50-Year Desert Restoration Drive

A practical briefing for foreign founders on Tongliao’s 2021–2030 Horqin Sandy Land plan, its 2024 reforestation results, and how ecological-industry integration can inform sustainable operations in China.

Why Tongliao’s Desert Campaign Matters to Foreign Founders

Tongliao, a city in China’s northern region, has been running one of the country’s most sustained ecological restoration campaigns. For foreign founders considering company registration or operations in China, the case offers a practical window into how local governments frame long-term development, land restoration, and industry integration. The source material is an official government article about studying and implementing ecological civilization thought. It focuses on Tongliao’s fight against desertification in the Horqin Sandy Land, and it contains concrete targets, timelines, and results that can help founders understand the policy environment.

The article is not an investment guide, and it does not promise business incentives. But it does show how local authorities organize large-scale programs, set measurable targets, and link ecological work with economic activity. For founders, that context can be useful when evaluating locations, partners, and compliance expectations.

The Core Plan: Eight Years to Win the Battle

According to the Tongliao City Horqin Sandy Land Elimination Battle Implementation Plan (2021–2030), the city plans to spend eight years starting in 2023 to fully win the battle against desertification in the Horqin Sandy Land. The plan is based on remote sensing monitoring and analysis, and it sets the campaign within a longer historical frame.

The article notes that since 1978, Tongliao has relied on national key projects such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program to carry out cumulative restoration work. That long timeline matters for founders: it signals that environmental restoration here is treated as a multi-decade public priority, not a short-term campaign. Companies that operate in agriculture, forestry, renewable energy, or tourism may find that local policy attention to these sectors is stable and sustained.

Key Figures from the Source

• 2021–2030: The implementation plan period for the Horqin Sandy Land elimination battle.
• 2023 start: The city began the eight-year push in 2023.
• 75.4%: The reduction in sandy land across six banners and counties over ten years, according to the article’s headline section.
• 14100.83 square kilometers: Planned ecological restoration area under the integrated mountains-rivers-forests-farmland-lakes-grasslands-sand project.
• April 2022: Launch of that integrated protection and restoration project.
• 410万亩 (4.1 million mu): Completed forest and grassland “three tens of millions” construction task in 2024, with a completion rate of 102.5%.
• 17.2 million mu: Total forest area, with a forest coverage rate of 19.49%.

From Sand Removal to Green Growth

The article describes a shift in Tongliao’s approach: ecological construction is to be industrialized, and industrial development is to be ecological. In practice, the city says it combines improving the environment with improving people’s livelihoods, and combines desert control with income generation. The sectors named include specialty forestry and fruit growing, eco-tourism, new energy, and under-forest planting and breeding.

For foreign founders, this is the most directly relevant part of the article. It shows that local policy thinking does not treat environmental protection as separate from business activity. Instead, it encourages industries that can generate economic returns while supporting restoration. That does not mean every project will qualify for support, and the source provides no details on foreign investment rules, tax treatment, or licensing. Founders should treat the article as context, not as a permission or incentive list.

What the “Green-In, Sand-Out” Narrative Means

The article uses the phrase “green advancing and sand retreating” to describe the ecological turnaround on land that was once repeatedly hit by wind and sand. It also notes that in historical terms, the Horqin Sandy Land was once a natural jewel, with forests, grasslands, and dunes coexisting with the prairie. That historical framing is common in Chinese ecological policy writing. For founders, the practical takeaway is that restoration here is presented as restoring a prior natural balance, not only as fighting a new problem.

That framing can affect how local authorities evaluate projects. A business that can show alignment with restoration, sustainable land use, or green industry may find its project easier to explain in local meetings. But the source does not state any approval criteria for companies, and no guarantees should be inferred.

The Integrated Restoration Project

The article highlights the Horqin Grassland Mountains-Rivers-Forests-Farmland-Lakes-Grasslands-Sand Integrated Protection and Restoration Project. It was one of the first ten such integrated projects nationwide. It began in April 2022, with a planned ecological restoration and treatment area of 14100.83 square kilometers. The article states that the project is now basically completed.

This is a useful data point for founders because it shows the scale of public investment and the use of integrated planning. The project name itself reflects a policy approach that treats ecosystems as connected systems rather than isolated parcels. For companies in environmental services, engineering, monitoring, or ecological technology, this kind of large public program can indicate where local demand for expertise may exist. The source does not describe procurement processes or market access rules, so founders should verify those separately.

2024 Results and the “Three Tens of Millions” Task

In 2024, Tongliao completed its forest and grassland “three tens of millions” construction task on 4.1 million mu, with a completion rate of 102.5%. The article also states that forest area reached 17.2 million mu and forest coverage reached 19.49%.

These figures are worth reading carefully. A completion rate above 100% suggests that targets were exceeded, but the source does not explain how the target was set or what counts as completed. Founders should not treat these numbers as audited performance data. They are official figures published in a government article. Still, they show that the city reports progress against explicit targets, which is consistent with a policy environment where measurable results matter.

Practical Lessons for Founders

• Long timelines are normal: The campaign runs from 2023 to 2030 and builds on work since 1978. Plan for policy continuity rather than quick cycles.
• Green industry is part of the local development story: Specialty forestry and fruit, eco-tourism, new energy, and under-forest planting and breeding are named as priority-adjacent sectors.
• Integrated projects create demand: Large restoration programs can generate demand for environmental services, monitoring, and technical expertise.
• Verify everything: The article contains no information on foreign investment access, company registration procedures, tax incentives, or land-use rights. Founders must confirm these with official channels.

What the Article Does Not Say

It is important to be clear about the limits of the source. The article does not provide statistics beyond those cited above. It does not include testimonials from companies or founders. It does not guarantee permits, subsidies, or market access. It does not describe how foreign founders can register a company in Tongliao or what sector restrictions may apply. It does not mention any awards or official rankings.

The article is a government narrative about ecological progress. Foreign founders should use it to understand local priorities and the language of policy, not as a substitute for legal, tax, or investment advice. Any decision to register or operate a company in China should be based on current official guidance and professional consultation.

Conclusion

Tongliao’s Horqin Sandy Land campaign shows a local government using long-term plans, measurable targets, and integrated restoration to reshape its environment and economy. For foreign founders, the practical value lies in understanding how ecological and industrial goals are linked in local policy. That understanding can inform sector choice, partner conversations, and project framing. But the source offers no shortcuts or guarantees. Founders should combine this context with independent verification of registration, investment, and compliance requirements.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.