How did Chinese frontier policies contribute to conflict between Mongols and Tatars?

Chinese frontier policies played a significant role in fostering conflict between the Mongols and the Tatars by utilizing a strategy of alternating political and military favor between different nomadic groups.12

Historically, dynasties in China, such as the Jin dynasty, sought to maintain control over the northern frontier by playing tribes against one another. For instance, while the "Nation of All the Mongols" had previously served as transfrontier allies or auxiliaries to the Liao dynasty, the subsequent Jin dynasty shifted its support toward the Tatars, who were located closer to the Chinese frontier.12

By frequently switching their favor between more distant tribes and those situated nearer to the border, Chinese dynasties effectively created and sustained feuds between the Mongols and the Tatars. This "divide and rule" approach was a common feature of frontier management, intended to prevent any single tribal power from becoming too dominant or threatening to the Chinese state.12