Ulaanbaatar, May 9, 2023 /MONTSAME/. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Batmunkhiin Battsetseg paid a working visit to China on May 1-2, 2023 at the invitation of a member of the State Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Qin Gang.

-Foreign Minister, how would you define the purpose and the significance of your visit to the PRC?

-One of the priority goals of our Government is to intensify cooperation in all sectors and at all levels, and bolster our comprehensive strategic partnership after the pandemic with one of Mongolia’s two neighbors, the PRC. The PRC has defined their new development goals and appointed a new generation of leaders at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, 2022, and its “Two Sessions” in March, 2023. The purpose of my visit was to promote bilateral relations and cooperation, and establish working relations with the PRC’s new generation of leaders. During my working visit to Beijing on May 1-2, I met and held official talks with PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and exchanged views on a wide range of issues regarding Mongolia-China relations, and reached concrete agreements, which asserted to the importance of the visit.

It is important to maintain high-level mutual visits and meetings between our two countries, and both sides have been able to organize and maintain a frequency of such exchanges even during the difficult period of the pandemic.

One of the outcomes of my visit was that the two sides agreed to organize Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene’s official visit to the PRC in the near future.

-What were the concrete issues that were agreed?

-President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh paid a state visit to the PRC in November 2022, during which he met with President Xi Jinping. Both sides reached an agreement at the highest level on issues such as promoting and developing bilateral relations and cooperation in the new era. In order to significantly contribute to the nation’s development we are mainly focusing on putting these agreements into action.

One of the priorities of Mongolia’s foreign policy is to develop friendly relations with our two neighbors. China too attaches great importance to its relations and cooperation with Mongolia and considers Mongolia as its good neighbor, good friend and good partner. In this regard, the parties agreed to bolster political trust, mutually respect the fundamental interests of each other, and develop an ideal example of bilateral cooperation in the region. 

The key area of Mongolia-China relations is cooperation in the field of trade, economy and investment. The goal is to increase trade between the two countries to USD 20 billion by 2027. Our bilateral trade reached 13.6 billion USD 2022, and USD 3.48 billion in the first quarter of this year.

During the meetings with the Chinese side issues such as increasing port capacity, and intensifying the works of connecting them by road and rail, which would facilitate the increase of trade volume were raised. For instance, outstanding issues such as revising the 1955 Railway Agreement, 2004 Agreement on Border Ports and their Regime, 2014 Agreement on Transit Transport, and adding Khangi-Mandal railway port into the Agreement on Border Ports, and accelerating the construction work of the railway at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod border port were addressed.

-Since the beginning of this year, China began to ease the strict travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic and people have begun to travel again. The Government of Mongolia declared years 2023 through 2025 the "Years to Visit Mongolia.” Was there any discussion and talks made on receiving tourists from China to Mongolia?

-In order for people to obtain positive and accurate information and understanding of each other’s cultures, histories and livelihoods, we should encourage our people to travel and visit each other’s countries. The two sides have discussed and agreed to organize Mongolian-Chinese culture and tourism forum, to upgrade and improve the e-visa process for tourists, to increase the number of direct flights and to make promotional materials on Mongolia available in Chinese in order to further promote tourism between the two countries. The land and air travel between the two countries have resumed to normal. The international passenger trains will resume its operation starting this month. Moreover, the Embassy of Mongolia to the People’s Republic of China opened a new “Culture Center” this year, which aims to promote Mongolia in China, organizing many events and activities promoting Mongolia, especially to the children and youth.                

-Spring season is the time of the year when the yellow sandstorms start in Beijing. Nowadays, environmental cooperation is increasingly becoming one of the most important topics to be discussed among countries within the bilateral cooperation framework. Have you discussed this issue with the Chinese counterparts? What is the current progress of other development cooperation projects?

-Under the “One Billion Trees” National Campaign initiated by the President of Mongolia, a joint project to establish a “Research Center to Combat Desertification” is being implemented. China has an extensive experience in combating desertification and re-forestation efforts and therefore, has agreed to implement the abovementioned joint-project. Mongolia will be organizing the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 2026 and China has agreed to cooperate with us in this regard as well. 

The grants and concessional loans provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, significantly contribute in resolving pressing socio-economic issues in Mongolia. For instance, projects such as “Central Wastewater Treatment Plant of Ulaanbaatar City,” “Erdeneburen Hydropower Plant,” and “Underground Passageway” (which aims to reduce the Ulaanbaatar city traffic congestion) are being successfully implemented. In addition, the implementation of the joint-projects such as the “Grand Theatre of National Arts” and the “Presidential Sports and Training Center for Children and Youth,” which have been agreed upon during the President of Mongolia Mr. U. Khurelsukh’s state visit to People’s Republic of China, will commence this month. 

-The PRC has become an active player on the international stage, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced three major initiatives: Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative. Does Mongolia support these initiatives?

-PRC President Xi Jinping proposed Global Development Initiative in 2019, the Global Security Initiative in 2022, and Global Civilization Initiative in 2023. These initiatives declare safeguarding humankind’s secure and peaceful life, sustainable development, diversity of civilizations, and promoting international cooperation in this regard as their primary objective. These are in line with our country’s foreign policy objectives and principles, and we are ready to exchange views and cooperate with the Chinese side in this direction.

Mongolia joined the Group of Friends to “Foster Global Development – Promote Stronger, Greener and Healthier Global Development for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” established by the PRC last year at the UN.

During the “Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting” organized on March 15, PRC President Xi Jinping proposed the “Global Civilization Initiative,” stating, “We advocate the respect for the diversity of civilizations. Countries need to uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and tolerance. Countries need to keep an open mind in appreciating the perceptions of values by different civilizations and refrain from imposing their own values or models on others and from stoking ideological confrontation. Countries need to fully harness the relevance of their histories and cultures to the present times and push for creative transformation and innovative development of their fine traditional cultures.” These statements are consistent, in essence, with Mongolia’s foreign relations, policy, and objectives concerning cultural and humanitarian issues.

-The value of civilization includes religious issues. These issues are also relevant to Mongolia-China relations. What is our official position on this matter?

-Religion is definitely a core value of culture. Mongolia and China are both Asian Buddhist countries. There have been cases in world history where religious issues have affected relations between countries. Our two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership, and we have been able to reach a mutual understanding and resolve any conflicts through dialogue. 

Our citizens’ right to freedom of religion and expression is ensured and protected by law. Moreover, the state and religion shall conduct their activities separately and not interfere in each other’s affairs as stipulated in the Constitution of Mongolia. 

I would also like to emphasize that religious issues are subject to the internal affairs of both countries. Mongolia conducts its policies and activities on any religious issues independently and without external interference, as it should. We will independently resolve any religious matters, including identifying the head of traditional Buddhist in Mongolia, without any involvement from outside.

Nowadays, we have ample opportunity to train its lamas internally and enhance their capacities. This undoubtedly will help us pursue independent religious policy and develop Buddhism in Mongolia on our own. 

-During the visit were issues related to international relations discussed?

-Apart from issues of bilateral relations and cooperation, regional and international topics of mutual interests were also discussed. Within the framework of intensifying Mongolia-Russia-China trilateral cooperation, both sides agreed to renew the central railway corridor, accelerate the construction of the natural gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia’s territory, and the construction of the Altanbulag-Zamiin-Uud highway project.