Sun Hongmei noted that the English website is the autonomous region's first English website for a city at that level and will certainly help foreigners learn more about Baotou by providing a more transparent image.

The new website caters to the international community by providing detailed information on the city and the latest local news updates with a fresh perspective. The site will raise Baotou's global profile by opening a window to and for foreigners.

The website has eight major columns with various features. For example, a "News" section has the latest news and developments, and a "Specials" column covers interesting aspects of local life or big events. Other columns are called About Baotou, Doing Business, Visiting, Ethnic Culture, Living, and Government. These columns and features provide a local perspective and show the world that Baotou has an ideal location, great resources and interesting culture, and is a good place in which to invest or travel.

China Daily, China's leading English-language news organization, has a growing popularity abroad and is the first choice for many people who are interested in learning about China through the English language media. Its English news website -- chinadaily.com.cn -- clearly has an advantage when it comes to developing websites. It has provided almost 200 websites for major governments and enterprises in China, including the central government State Council's English website, launched on Oct 8, 2014.