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How does Inner Mongolia differ politically from the independent country of Mongolia?

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Wide autumn valley with golden grass in the foreground and low, tree-covered mountains of the Greater Khingan Range in the distance under a clear sky. — Inner Mongolia Da Hinggan (Greater Khingan) Range, southeast of Hailar, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

The primary political difference between the two regions is that the independent country of Mongolia is a sovereign nation-state, while Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of China.123

Sovereignty: Mongolia is a fully independent country that maintains its own international relations, holds multiparty elections, and operates under its own constitution.2
Governance: Inner Mongolia is an administrative division within the Chinese political system. While it features specific administrative units—such as leagues (meng) and banners (qi)—it remains integrated into the national government structure of China, which has historically sought to unify Han and Mongol populations into a single political entity.14

Historically, the two regions diverged following the collapse of Qing dynasty rule. Outer Mongolia (now the country of Mongolia) pursued and eventually secured international recognition of its independence, whereas Inner Mongolia became an autonomous region established by the Chinese communist regime in 1947.12