Foreign and Military Affairs

China pledge closer ties as Mongolian PM visits

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-15 19:59

BEIJING - China and Mongolia on Wednesday pledged to work more closely to enhance good-neighbor relations.

Related readings: China, Mongolia sign agreement to promote ties

The pledge came out of a meeting between Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, and Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold in Beijing.

Batbold arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day visit to China as guest of Premier Wen Jiabao.

Wu started the meeting by reviewing the growth of China-Mongolia ties, saying Mongolia was one of the first countries to have established diplomatic relations with China.

China and Mongolia forged diplomatic ties in October 1949, the month when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Wu said China-Mongolia relations had withstood the test of profound changes in the international sphere and sought solid development, citing frequent high-level exchanges, deep political trust, close economic cooperation and active people-to-people exchanges.

Wu underscored China's commitment to stronger ties with Mongolia, saying China would like to work with Mongolia to deepen exchanges and cooperation in all fields, enhance and broaden bilateral relations and benefit the two peoples.

Batbold said Mongolia gives priority to developing good-neighbor relations with China and seeking mutually-beneficial cooperation.

As China and Mongolia are geographically close and their economies complement each other, Wu said the two countries are in a good position to step up trade and economic cooperation.

Wu called on both sides to step up cooperation in mineral development, infrastructure construction and technology sharing on animal husbandry.

Batbold appreciated China's long-term support to Mongolia's economic and social development, saying his country would like to work closely with China in the trade, minerals, education, science and technology sectors as well as on infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges.

On parliamentary ties, Wu proposed the legislative bodies of the two countries step up experience sharing on governance issues and promote democracy and the rule of law.

Batbold said the Monglian legislative body would like to carry out regular consultations with the NPC.

Batbold will meet with other Chinese leaders and deliver a speech at Tsinghua University before leaving Beijing on Friday.