China Focus: Inner Mongolia eyes opportunities through Silk Road www.xinhuanet.com

HOHHOT, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- As Mellat Dilnar, a student from Kazakhstan who has been pursuing her studies in Beijing for three years, lets breeze gently move her hair in front of the ancient ruins of Ulanqab, she feels like she is back in the boundless steppe of her home country.

"The idea of the Silk Road has been with me since I was a child," said Dilnar, who is starting her thesis on the Silk Road for her doctorate study. "Caravans used to travel from here to my hometown of Almaty and beyond."

Literally meaning "red mountain ridges" in Mongolian, the city of Ulanqab in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region lies at the pass of Mount Yinshan.

It remained a key station of the Silk Road on the grasslands, a divergent branch to China's traditional land route to the West, until the city was destroyed amid rebellions in the mid-14th century.

"We always say that China is the ocean and port of Kazakhstan," said Dilnar. "The old route now has a new orientation."

The ancient trade depot sees an opportunity to relive the past grandeur since the Belt and Road Initiative -- the proposal for building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road -- was put forward by China five years ago.

OLD ROUTE, NEW STYLE

"Among China Railway Express's 17 hubs on the way to Europe, Ulanqab is the only non-provincial capital," said Wang Xinyu, vice mayor of Ulanqab.

Since the first China-Europe freight train from Chongqing to Duisburg of Germany was launched in 2011, there have been more than 10,000 trips and the trains continue to serve as a crucial network of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Last year alone, there were 111 China-Europe freight trains sent from Ulanqab, accounting for 80 percent of the region's total.

"Opening-up and boosting trade are our top priorities," said Vice Mayor Wang. "The China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor is an opportunity for us."

The upgraded transport link with China's northern neighbors has opened international markets for Ulanqab's traditional businesses such as its leather industry. Leather making companies from Beijing and Shanghai have moved here to better serve Russian and European customers.

"Not only does local cargo converge in Ulanqab, but cargo from north China or even across the country also comes here for redistribution," Wang said.

The old trade center now has a new ambition. A logistical channel that connects Ulanqab with Mongolia's Ulan Bator and Russia's Ulan Ude is being planned. It will be 1,160 km shorter than the current China-Russia trade route.

INNER MONGOLIA AND ITS WORLD VISION

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is now more than ever involved in global connectivity.

The region's Erenhot and Manzhouli to the north of Ulanqab are the mainstays of border connections with Mongolia and Russia. Last year, 569 China-Europe freight trains passed through Erenhot, and more than 1,300 through Manzhouli.

In the first seven months of 2018, the trade volume between Inner Mongolia and countries participating in the Belt and Roald Initiative reached 5.73 billion U.S. dollars, up 6.4 percent year on year, or accounting for 67.8 percent of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's foreign trade volume.

"Inner Mongolia has become a logistics hub for sending Chinese goods to Europe," said Xu Jun, senior vice president of Prologis, a logistics real estate company. "We expect to fit our role in the region's development with the company's business in Europe."

The complementarity between China and the rest of the world in the past centuries is taking a new form in the trade through Inner Mongolia.

Agricultural and mechanical commodities, steel, automobiles and hi-tech products are among the exports. Products such as coal, wood and copper, iron and lead ores are among the major imports.

In August 2018, China and Mongolia agreed that the bilateral trade should reach 10 billion U.S. dollars by 2020. Inner Mongolia's role as a passageway will be further underlined.

"We will be back in Inner Mongolia for further research later this year to seek opportunities to provide high-quality logistics infrastructure for the region," Xu said.

Apple expected to announce new iPhone and gadgets September 12 www.cnn.com

How will Apple follow up its biggest iPhone announcement since the original? Probably with the same device in more colors, but we'll find out for sure on September 12, according to an invite reporters received Thursday morning.
Most Apple watchers expect the company to unveil a number of new iPhone models and a release date for its next iOS operating system during the event, held at the company's slick Apple Park headquarters. It could expand the iPhone X design and naming across its entire phone lineup, with more sizes, colors and price points, according to Bloomberg. The Apple Watch and Air Pods could also get a refresh.

Cabinet discusses ETT shares and reducing fuel prices www.gogo.mn

During Cabinet’s regular session on August 29, Minister of Mining, Infrastructure and Heavy Industry D.Sumiyabazar presented several issues, including the issuing of an Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi IPO and rising fuel prices.

President urges law enforcers as child victims increase in number www.zgm.mn

President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa, yesterday, received the authorities and representatives of some government bodies to address child safety and exhort government bodies to fight crimes against children. In 2017, 1,752 children became victims of 1,692 crimes, whereas, in the first six months of 2018, the number of child victims increased by 40 percent against the same period of the previous year. Last year, 127 children lost their lives and 187 children became victims of sexual violence, with the age of the victims getting increasingly younger. The President previously outlined urgent measures to be taken by the government organizations responsible for child safety comprising six tasks during the plenary session of the Parliament on June 28. Accordingly, several open discussions were organized and the National Police Agency established a Division for Prevention of Crimes Against Children; however, “the statistical figures on child accidents caused by the negligence of adults and violence against children have not reduced,” the President Battulga alerted. He added, “I called for taking measures, such as formulating and adopting child protection law and standards, issuing an implementation guideline, and conducting inspection at schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and all other child-involving environments.

Of the 11 organizations that received the instructions, eight have sent their reports. I have read each of these reports, and there is not a single report that can satisfy or assure me that viable actions have been taken.” According to the President, the specialized bodies inspected 44 out of 798 schools (18 percent) in the country and 60 out of 1,416 kindergartens (23.6 percent). “The reports does not contain the result of inspection in rural schools and kindergartens. As such, these reports only contain information on the violations that were revealed, and there is no account of how these violations were settled and how the corrections were examined in person. I am sure everyone understands that our desired goal is not integrating data, issuing written orders, and imposing fine,” warned Mr. President. The meeting proceeded with questions directed to the government officials regarding information in the said reports. For instance, President Battulga addressed certain issues, including safety of electrical wires and cables, playgrounds and school environment, nutritional value of food provided to preschoolers, child protection standards, risk assessment of day nurseries, lack of professional teachers and educators, and the difference in the working hours of government organizations and kindergartens. After that, the President instructed the government organizations to work together in order to effectively solve the existing problems. The President mentioned the exemplary actions of the National Police Agency, thanks to which child crimes decreased by 30.2 percent, expressing his willingness to cooperate on such preventive measures. After discussing the preparations for the new academic year, the President called a meeting to review the results next month.

BRICS bank receives top investment-grade rating from S&P www.rt.com

‘Big Three’ global credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has assigned its AA+ long-term and A-1+ short-term issuer ratings with a stable outlook to the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
The AA+ is the rating agency’s second-highest ranking, behind only a AAA rating. “The ratings reflect our opinion that NDB will establish itself as a catalyst in reducing the infrastructure deficits faced by its BRICS members,” S&P said in a press release.

Mongolia to hold regional assembly for blind, visually impaired www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The World Blind Union (WBU) -- Asia Pacific Mid-Term Regional General Assembly 2018 will be held here from Sept. 9 to 12, the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind said Wednesday.

N. China’s Inner Mongolia sees foreign trade with B&R countries increase in Jan-July www.en.silkroad.news.cn

BEIJING, Aug. 29(Xinhua) – The foreign trade of North China’s Inner Mongolia with the countries along the Belt and Road routes reached 39.2 billion yuan in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 6.4 percent over the same period last year, accounting for 67.8 percent of the regional total, the Hohhot Customs District said on Tuesday.

Coal worth of MNT 60 billion stolen from Tavan Tolgoi mine www.news.mn

L.Enkhbold, Member of Mongolian Parliament made serious allegation at press conference Thursday (30 August) about coal worth of MNT 60 billion stolen from the Tavan Tolgoi mine. According to the MP, the Mongolian Cabinet has been discussing an examination of a case involving coal theft presented by a working group.

Belt and Road Initiative biggest project of 21st century: Mongolian academic www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the biggest project of the 21st century, providing broader opportunities for international cooperation, a Mongolian expert said.

Orient express: Japan tests freight transportation across Russia via Trans–Siberian Railway www.rt.com

Test shipments of Japanese goods to Russia using a sea link and the longest railway line in the world, the Trans-Siberian Railway, began Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan.
“This is a significant event for Russia and Japan. The project literally ties our two countries together,” Deputy Minister of Russia’s Economic Development Sergey Gorkov told TASS.