China and Mongolia increase communications and strengthen relationship

The more turbulent the international situation becomes, the more the need for China and Mongolia to bolster communication, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation becomes, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone call with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg at the latter's request on Thursday.

Wang recalled that President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang had respectively met with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene in February, who came to China to attend the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

He said that an important consensus had been reached at the leaders' meetings, which has injected new impetus into the bilateral relations.

For her part, Battsetseg noted that Mongolia would work with China to keep close contact in various levels and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in multiple fields.

She looked forward to fully leveraging the role of the "green lane" between the two countries and further enhancing the operation capacities of ports and cargo volumes to effectively cope with negative effects brought by the spillover of the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

China is ready to strengthen cooperation in economic recovery with Mongolia and help Mongolian economic and social development, Wang said.

He expressed China's willingness to work with Mongolia to accelerate the building of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor and advance the connection of China-Mongolia railway transportation lines.

Wang pledged that Beijing would continue to provide anti-pandemic materials and equipment to help Ulaanbaatar strengthen the prevention and control of the pandemic and safeguard smooth operation of the ports.

In order to encourage the steady development of their bilateral relations, the two sides agreed to continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, and refrain from external interference.

Battsetseg noted that Mongolia respects China's core concerns and would continue to independently handle its domestic religious affairs as always.

The two sides exchanged views on multilateral affairs. Battsetseg appreciated China's responsibility as a major country in fighting the pandemic and responding to the Ukraine crisis.

She thought highly of China's efforts in committing itself to promoting peace talks and addressing differences, as well as providing humanitarian assistance on the Ukraine issue.

Noting the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis on normal social and economic operation of countries, Wang highlighted that Asian countries should strengthen communication and coordination to jointly safeguard the peace, stability, and development of the region.