1 BUILDING MONGOLIA'S NEW, OLD CAPITAL AT KHARKHORUM WWW.THEDIPLOMAT.COM PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      2 BACKED BY INDONESIAN TYCOON, THIS LISTED FIRM RUSHES TO ACQUIRE A MONGOLIAN MINE WWW.CNBCINDONESIA.COM PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      3 PREPARATORY WORK LAUNCHED TO BRING THE BORTEEG DEPOSIT INTO ECONOMIC CIRCULATION WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      4 TOURISM ORGANISATIONS TO RECEIVE “STAR” RATINGS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      5 CITIZENS TO GET 6 SERVICES AFTER SWITCH TO UNIFIED EMERGENCY NUMBER “112” WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      6 MONGOLIA TO HOST GLOBAL WORLD HORSE DAY CELEBRATION WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      7 THIS SACRED SITE IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST NATURE RESERVES WWW.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM PUBLISHED:2026/01/08      8 MONGOLIA’S TOURISM SURGE: 1 MILLION VISITORS TARGETED & $1.6 BILLION REVENUE IN 2026 – WHAT AIRLINES LIKE AIR CHINA & MARRIOTT ARE DOING TO CASH IN! WWW.TRAVELANDTOURWORLD.COM PUBLISHED:2026/01/07      9 NEW FLIGHTS FROM MONGOLIA TO SINGAPORE, VIETNAM, CHINA, AND EUROPE IN 2026: HOW THESE ROUTES ARE REVOLUTIONIZING TRAVEL! WWW.TRAVELANDTOURWORLD.COM PUBLISHED:2026/01/07      10 ‘ULAANBAATAR TRAM’ TO CONNECT ZUNJIN AND SUKHBAATAR SQUARE IN 29 MINUTES WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2026/01/07      НИЙСЛЭЛИЙН 19 БАЙРШИЛД 11.7 КМ АВТО ЗАМЫН БОРООНЫ УС ЗАЙЛУУЛАХ ШУГАМ УГСАРНА WWW.ITOIM.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     "БНХАУ-ЫН НЭГ КОМПАНИТАЙ ШАТАХУУНЫ ГЭРЭЭ БАЙГУУЛСАН" WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     ЕРӨНХИЙ САЙД Г.ЗАНДАНШАТАР “РИО ТИНТО-Д ХАТУУ ШААРДЛАГА ХҮРГҮҮЛНЭ WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     МОНГОЛ УЛСЫН ГАДААД ВАЛЮТЫН НӨӨЦИЙН ХЭМЖЭЭ 27.1 ХУВИАР ӨСЛӨӨ WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     БОРТЭЭГИЙН ОРДЫГ ЭДИЙН ЗАСГИЙН ЭРГЭЛТЭД ОРУУЛАХ БЭЛТГЭЛ АЖИЛ ЭХЭЛЛЭЭ WWW.ITOIM.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     ЭНЭ ОНД НИЙСЛЭЛИЙН ХЭМЖЭЭНД ГАЗАР ЧӨЛӨӨЛӨХ БАЙРШЛУУД WWW.GOGO.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     ГААЛИЙН ЕРӨНХИЙ ГАЗРЫГ П.ДЭЛГЭРНАРАН УДИРДАНА WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/08     ЗЭС, ЭРХ МЭДЭЛ, ЭРСДЭЛ: ДЭЛХИЙН ГЕОПОЛИТИКИЙН ШАТРЫН ӨРӨГ ДЭЭРХ МОНГОЛ УЛС WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/07     КАНАДЫН AIR TRANSAT КОМПАНИ ТОРОНТО-УЛААНБААТАР ЧИГЛЭЛД ШУУД НИСЛЭГ ҮЙЛДЭНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/07     М БАНК СИНГАПУРЫН ХӨРӨНГИЙН БИРЖИД АНХНЫ БОНДОО ГАРГАЛАА WWW.GOGO.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2026/01/07    

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MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2025 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

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Mongolian Mining Explains Higher Service Caps and Tightens Oversight on Connected Transactions www.tippranks.com

Mongolian Mining Corporation has issued a supplemental announcement detailing how it set higher proposed annual caps under its service agreement for office and camp support services provided by Energy Resources and USS. The company attributes the substantial increase mainly to a roughly 29% rise in per man‑day rates for catering, camp and accommodation services, including enhanced meal options for employee well‑being and cost inflation over the past three years, as well as a 46% increase in employee numbers that will drive greater use of these services. The miner also clarified its internal control and procurement procedures for continuing connected transactions, noting that while it aims to obtain at least three quotations for pricing comparisons, this requirement may not always be achievable in tender processes due to market constraints, as shown by a recent tender in which only two bidders participated; the board emphasizes that oversight mechanisms remain in place to ensure terms are fair, on normal commercial terms, and in the interests of shareholders.
The most recent analyst rating on 0975 -2.61% ▼ stock is a Hold with a HK$11.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Mongolian Mining stock, see the HK:0975 Stock Forecast page.
More about Mongolian Mining
Mongolian Mining Corporation is a Hong Kong–listed resources group incorporated in the Cayman Islands, primarily engaged in coal mining and related operations in Mongolia, with offices in Ulaanbaatar and various camps and operational sites supporting its workforce and production activities.

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Mongolia’s state-owned Mongol Refinery to bring new 1.5 Mt/year oil plant online by 2026 www.energiesmedia.com

The international energy market is set to see a wave of pioneering projects this year, with a particular Mongolian refinery project leading the way for the Asian revival of the oil sector. Mongolia is not a nation known for its oil production, relying mostly on imports from other energy-rich nations, such as China, for the vast majority of its energy resources. However, that reality is set to change as the nation’s state-owned refinery is set to come online this year following a recent investment made by India.
The state-owned Mongol refinery is set to come online this year
The evidence would suggest that the overwhelming calls to integrate the renewable energy sector have not reached the Asian nation of Mongolia. A new development has attracted the attention of the nearby nation of India, which has opted to bet big on the Mongolian oil refinery project, as the nation has provided a substantial line of credit to Mongolia to develop the new refinery.
Engineers India has been selected as the preferred contractor for the Mongol refinery, after a new line of credit totalling $1.7 billion was awarded for the project by the Indian government. The project will enable the eastern Asian nation to use its domestically produced crude to make transport and cooking fuel for local use.
India has been keeping a close eye on nearby energy projects that align with its own ambitions
India has one of the most diverse energy portfolios on the planet, no doubt a result of the astonishingly high demand for energy in the nation. India has one of the most densely populated regions of the world, which requires exceedingly diverse energy projects to meet demand. Now, the government is providing all the necessary funds to develop the Mongol refinery, while also providing the engineering contractors for the project.
The Mongol Refinery has signed a deal with India’s Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited
The deal lays out the detailed plan for the construction of the required components for the Mongol refinery, with specific technologies being provided by some of the largest energy companies in the world, at a price, of course. Notably, the technologies that are needed encompass the entire construction process, which India’s Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited is only all too happy to provide.
Some of the new tech for the project is:
A Hydrogen plant provided by Italian Kinetics Technology
Sulfur separation processes from the French company Axens
Gas processing plant from US UOP Honeywell, as well as hydrocracking
Visbreaking under license from the Dutch Shell company
The advancement of the Mongol refinery operations comes as nearby China has signed off on a new refinery and petrochemical complex in Dalian. The Asian energy market has been growing at an astonishing rate in recent months, paving the way for a new era of dominance led by the booming natural energy resource market in the region.
The clean energy revolution has not yet hit the Mongolian energy market
While the vast majority of the world is fostering investments in the renewable energy market, such as Turkey, which announced that AIIB and TSKB will fund a new 100 MW solar PV plant in the country, the renewable energy wave has not yet landed in Mongolia. Regardless, the construction of the Mongol refinery is moving forward, and the nation is set to become a new player in the traditional oil sector once operations begin later this year. By leaning on the vast expertise of India and the long list of international companies set to provide the required infrastructure, Mongolia is taking its energy future by the hand, leading it to a new era of domestic crude production.
By Warren

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TMK Energy scores fifth consecutive monthly Mongolian gas increase www.thewest.com.au

TMK Energy’s Mongolian coal seam gas play is starting to hum, with the company clocking another monthly rise in production.
For the fifth month in a row, gas output climbed at the company’s 100 per cent owned Gurvantes XXXV coal seam gas project, with December flows recording the strongest showing yet and carrying strong momentum into 2026.
The monthly year-end numbers tell a tidy story. Daily gas production reached a record of about 570 cubic metres, or more than 20,100 standard cubic feet per day, marking a 13 per cent lift on November’s average.
Notably, TMK says the well has produced at more than 20,000 cubic feet per day since Christmas Day, with water production holding steady at roughly 511 barrels per day, suggesting a strong level of consistency.
In coal seam gas, the combination of rising gas and stable water is precisely what engineers would want to see as reservoir pressure is steadily drawn down.
Looking at the bigger picture, progress across the wider project area appears even more striking. With all wells continuing to perform at greater than 99 per cent uptime, gas production is now more than four times higher than it was back in August, underscoring how far the pilot program has come in just a few months.
The continued month-on-month increase in gas rates is a very positive indicator that we are continuing to reduce the reservoir pressure and are approaching the all-important critical desorption pressure. Commercialisation of our enormous coal seam gas resource will be the focus for 2026 as the Pilot Well Project continues to advance towards what we fully expect to be materially higher gas production rates in the months ahead.
TMK Energy chief executive officer Dougal Ferguson
The critical desorption pressure threshold is a big deal in coal seam gas. Once it is crossed, production rates can accelerate materially, transforming a technical pilot into something with serious commercial legs.
With the odds of that outcome shortening by the month, TMK says it’s already looking beyond simply proving the wells can flow. Detailed planning and engineering works are underway to configure the pilot wells so the gas can be combined and potentially used to generate power on-site. Any excess electricity could then be sold into the local grid, presenting an early revenue angle for the company.
The potential for saleable gas is hugely important for the region. Mongolia is keen to strengthen its domestic energy security and a scalable, locally supplied gas project ticks plenty of boxes. For TMK, the production boost has also created optionality as it works through the next phase of development and engages with regulators and potential offtake pathways.
Looking ahead, the company has flagged the first commercial gas from its vast coal seam gas resource as a key focus for 2026. If the current trajectory continues and gas rates lift again as critical desorption is reached, the timeline to revenue may start to sharpen.
For now, TMK has done precisely what the market tends to reward in early-stage energy play by delivering consistent operational progress, reducing uncertainty step by step and letting the data and flows do the talking.
Delivering five consecutive months of rising gas production is not something that happens by accident, suggesting Gurvantes is beginning to find its stride.

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Russia Proposes Nuclear Power Plant & Uranium Mining Projects For Mongolia www.russiaspivottoasia.com

Mongolia is considering Rosatom’s proposal to build a small nuclear power plant, according to Alexey Evsikov, the Russian Ambassador to Mongolia. At present, Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, is powered by two Soviet-era coal-powered plants, which are both archaic and highly polluting during the winter months. The Mongolian energy system is also under enormous strain even at minimal loads.
Mongolia’s power grid is currently experiencing serious problems. Voltage levels at control points reach maximum permissible levels at night, even at minimum load. Ulaanbaatar also intends to reduce its dependence on imports—20% of its electricity is still supplied from Russia and China. A nuclear power plant would ensure the country’s clean energy stability.
Mongolia is also selecting a site for the facility, Evsikov said, adding that “Since August 2024, the Mongolian side has been reviewing a proposal from Rosatom to build a small nuclear power plant using cutting-edge, unparalleled technology. The facility is expected to be located in a region where a large number of new electricity consumers are expected to emerge.” That suggests it could be built in New Kharkhorum, the proposed new capital city being constructed about 230 km southwest of Ulaan Baatar. This in turn suggests that Ulaanbaatar’s needs will be met by the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline that will bisect Mongolia en route to China from Russia.
On September 2, 2025, a legally binding memorandum was signed on the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline and the Soyuz Vostok transit gas pipeline. The project will enable the annual supply of 50 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to China via Mongolia. Mongolian Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar called it the grand project of the millennium.
As concerns the proposed NPP, in September 2024, Rosatom stated that the technical design of the project to build Mongolia’s first small nuclear power plant was finalized. It was reported that the agreement could be signed during 2025. However, there have been no updates on this timeline, suggesting there has been some slippage.
The future nuclear power plant is crucial for ensuring Mongolia’s energy stability, according to Daria Saprynskaya, a research fellow at the Laboratory for Modern Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She has said that “Currently, gasification and coal play a vital role in ensuring Mongolia’s stability and security. A new nuclear power plant could potentially provide a sustainable source of electricity to replace coal-fired power plants, which is especially important for the development of large cities and industrial projects. For example, a small nuclear power plant project is being considered to supply electricity to New Kharkhorum.”
However, there is a financial aspect to this. The question is whether the country’s budget can afford to build a nuclear power plant, as the project is expensive. Nevertheless, Mongolia’s interest is clear. Previously, the Deputy Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, Bekhchuluun Purevdorj, emphasized that if work on nuclear power plant construction begins now, the country will resolve its nuclear energy problem within 10-15 years.
Meanwhile, Evsikov has said that other Russia-Mongolia joint venture projects are being discussed, including uranium and rare earth element mining. He added that “Cooperation in the energy sector is a strategic area for Russia and Mongolia, as this is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring sustainable economic development.”
Bilateral relations between Moscow and Ulaanbaatar are experiencing a new wave of development. In early December, the first Russian / Mongolian Regional Forum took place. A cooperation program for 2026–2030, covering approximately 70 areas, was signed.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated at the forum that Ulaanbaatar remains an important trading partner in Asia, as evidenced by the growing trade turnover. He stated that it increased by 17.8% in 2024 and by another 5% in the first nine months of 2025. Bilateral trade is approaching the US$2 billion mark, up from US$1.4 billion in 2020. Now, the two sides have the opportunity to further increase these figures, as trade cooperation has been boosted by Mongolia signing a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This agreement provides for the trade liberalization for 367 types of goods. Trade services are also being improved. For example, in October 2024, the Kyakhta customs and logistics terminal opened on the Russian-Mongolian border, simplifying trade flows and increasing throughput.
Overchuk said, “We see potential in increasing imports of Mongolia’s traditional goods—wool, cashmere, leather, and meat.” Mongolia exports meat, wool, and textiles, as well as substantial mineral reserves: gold, silver, iron ore, coal, copper, tin, nickel, and zinc. Upmarket Mongolian cashmere stores are now appearing in Russian shopping malls.
Mongolia mainly imports petroleum products, cars, buses and other transport vehicles and equipment, electrical equipment, metal products, food products, and pharmaceuticals from Russia.
Saprynskaya adds that water is an interesting area for cooperation between Russia and Mongolia, with Mongolian authorities previously proposing cooperation with Russia on the future construction of the Egiin-Gol hydroelectric power station project on the Selenga River, a tributary of Lake Baikal. The two sides are also focusing on the mutual preservation of large bodies of water.
Political dialogue is also currently on the rise. On September 2, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in Beijing. A year earlier, in September 2024, the Russian leader paid an official visit to the country. Following Vladimir Putin’s invitation, the Mongolian president also traveled to Moscow to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory Day in May 2025.

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Hunnu City as an Urban Constellation for Mongolia’s 2050 Vision www.parametric-architecture.com

Bechu & Associés has emerged as the winner of the international open competition to shape the master plan for Hunnu City, a visionary new urban district south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Announced in 2025, the proposal sets out a long-term framework for a vast 31,503-hectare site near Chinggis Khaan International Airport, with development unfolding in carefully planned phases through 2045. Rooted in Mongolia’s ambitious Vision 2050 agenda, designed as a future urban city at the center of national priorities, supporting economic independence, strengthening climate resilience, and celebrating cultural identity.
Hunnu City is imagined as a regenerative urban masterplan, where infrastructure, landscape, housing, and community life evolve together in a renewed harmony between nature, society, and architectural innovation. From the initiation of the design process, the architecture rejects rigid, imposed geometry, instead allowing the land itself to shape the city, drawing cues from the open steppe, prevailing winds, water systems, and natural cycles to create a place that grows organically from its environment.
Hunnu City is imagined as a living urban system that listens to its surroundings and grows in harmony with natural and human flows. The design weaves together water reuse, renewable energy, ecological corridors, and smooth mobility to create a walkable, human-centered 15-minute city. Rooted in Mongolian traditions, the master plan draws inspiration from the sacred symbolism of the number nine. This idea is translated into the master plan as nine guiding pillars that frame the city’s vision. The pillars, including nature, heritage, resilience, and time, shape the city designed to evolve thoughtfully across generations.
At the heart of the master plan lies the idea of Amid Od, or “stars of life,” shaping the city as a modern constellation. These circular centers, inspired by the traditional Mongolian ger, serve as powerful identity anchors for future generations as well as cultural, social, energy, and food hubs. Organized through cellular planning, the city unfolds in living layers around density, activity, and programs around the Amid Od, then spreads out into gardens, productive landscapes, and open steppe. This gradual transition allows urban life and nature to merge seamlessly, creating a city that feels both grounded in tradition and open to the future.
Hunnu City as an Urban Constellation for Mongolia’s 2050 Future
Designed as climatic biomes with lightweight, adaptable envelopes, the buildings ensure comfort in Mongolia’s extreme climate. Passive solar strategies, heat recovery, and rainwater harvesting help balance harsh winters and hot summers. At the urban scale, ecological corridors, no-build zones, and water-sensitive landscapes mitigate wind, flooding, and hydrological risks. Resilience and circularity are embedded through near-zero energy urban cells, passively survivable buildings, and locally sourced, demountable materials. These systems are unified by intelligent smart-grid networks that optimize energy and resource use across the city.
Hunnu City as an Urban Constellation for Mongolia’s 2050 Future
The city’s urban architecture places food and soil at its core, treating food security as a foundation of true sovereignty. Regenerative farming, short supply chains, living soils, and circular water systems create a closed-loop cycle where water nourishes the land, the land produces food, and waste is transformed into energy, compost, and animal feed. This approach supports both settled communities and nomadic traditions, ensuring resources are locally sustained. The system strengthens the connection between human well-being, ecological health, and long-term prosperity.
Hunnu City as an Urban Constellation for Mongolia’s 2050 Future
The design unfolds as a living ecosystem where nature, culture, and people evolve together. By blending environmental intelligence with cultural identity, the vision moves beyond conventional urbanism and emerges as a forward-looking urban model that is sustainable and culture-driven.

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Mongolia's central bank purchases 16.3 tons of gold in 2025 www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia's central bank purchased 16.3 tons of gold from legal entities and individuals in 2025, marking a 0.7 percent decrease compared to last year, according to the Bank of Mongolia on Friday.
As of December 2025, the Bank of Mongolia's average gold purchase price stood at 490,374.67 Mongolian tugriks (about 137.8 U.S. dollars) per gram, the bank said in a statement.
Purchasing gold is one of the key ways for the central bank to ensure the country's economic stability by consistently increasing foreign currency reserves, it added.
According to the central bank, Mongolia's foreign exchange reserves totalled 7 billion U.S. dollars at the end of December 2025.

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Mongolia's forex reserves reach record high in 2025 www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia's foreign exchange reserves hit a record high of 7 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2025, according to official data released by the country's central bank on Friday.
The figure represents a 27.14 percent increase compared to the previous year, the Bank of Mongolia said in a statement.
The central bank expects to increase the country's foreign exchange reserves to 10 billion dollars in the long term.
According to the regulator, Mongolia's foreign exchange reserves stood at 5.5 billion dollars by the end of December 2024.

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Mongolia Leads World Rankings in Memory, Mind Sports www.montsame.mn

Mongolian mind sports athletes have taken the lead globally. Specifically, Mongolia ranked first among the top five countries based on team scores earned during the 2025 World Championships.
The Mongolian team has competed in the world championships for 15 years and has been crowned world champion seven times, cementing its position as a leader on the international stage.
At the World Championship, the final event of 2025, the national team, comprising 37 athletes, claimed a total of 66 medals - 27 gold, 21 silver, and 22 bronze - out of a possible 90 medals. Additionally, the team secured 10 cups, demonstrating absolute dominance in the overall team standings. With this success, Mongolia leads the world's top five countries, followed by Australia, China, Vietnam, and Algeria.

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Mongolia extends visa exemption policy for 34 countries by one year www.visasnews.com

Good news for international travelers: Mongolia has officially announced the extension of its visa-free entry policy for citizens of 34 countries through January 1, 2027. Originally introduced as a temporary measure in 2023 and set to expire on December 31, 2025, the program has now been renewed, reaffirming the Mongolian government’s commitment to maintaining an open and tourism-friendly policy.
After several weeks of uncertainty and speculation, Mongolia has officially made its decision… at the last minute.
Mongolian authorities confirmed today the extension of the visa exemption for nationals of 34 countries until January 1, 2027, a measure initially introduced in 2023 on a temporary basis.
In a statement released on Wednesday, December 31, the Embassy of Mongolia in France announced that “the Mongolian government will temporarily exempt (until January 1, 2027) citizens of 34 countries, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Monegasque nationals holding ordinary passports, from the visa requirement for tourist stays of up to 30 days.”
Highly anticipated by travelers and tourism professionals alike, this decision puts an end to concerns about a possible reinstatement of visa requirements in 2026 and reaffirms the country’s intention to continue promoting international tourism.
Mongolia: Who can enter without a visa in 2026?
The extension confirms that the original list of eligible countries remains unchanged.
In 2026, citizens of the following 34 countries and territories will continue to be able to travel to Mongolia visa-free for tourism stays of up to 30 days:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
As part of the “Visit Mongolia Year” program, Mongolian authorities also confirmed the extension of visa-free entry for South Korean nationals, allowing tourist stays of up to 90 days. This exemption is now valid through December 31, 2026.

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Mongolia and China have erected more than 4.700 kilometers of border fences to contain livestock, curb pasture degradation, and transform the grassland into a permanent ecological border of territorial sovereignty www.en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br

Mongolia–China Border Livestock FenceMongolia and China have surrounded almost the entire border to contain livestock, protect pastures, and transform land use into a strategic issue of sovereignty.
For centuries, the border between Mongolia and China was marked by open fields, free-roaming herds, and a pastoral economy that ignored lines on the map. This scenario began to change radically when advancing environmental degradation, pressure on pastures, and recurring rural conflicts led the two countries to adopt a direct and physical solution: one of the largest continuous fences on the planet, extending over 4.700 kilometers along the border.
What was once just an ecological transition zone has transformed into a rigid artificial borderwhere pasture began to be treated as a strategic asset.
The problem that didn't respect borders.
The basis of the rural economy in Mongolia has always been extensive pastoralism. Herds of goats, sheep, horses, and yaks travel great distances in search of food, following the natural cycle of the seasons. On the Chinese side, however, the agricultural model is more intensive, with strict control of land use and environmental policies aimed at curbing desertification.
With the increase in the number of animals and the reduction in the regenerative capacity of pastures, the free movement of herds came to be seen as an environmental and economic threat. Overburdened areas began to lose vegetation cover, accelerating erosion and the advance of the Gobi Desert.
Fences as a territorial solution
The answer found was simple, but of monumental scale: surround the borderThe call Mongolia–China Border Livestock Fence It was not designed as a symbolic barrier, but as a continuous physical line capable of preventing the movement of animals between the two countries.
Along almost the entire land border, the fence has come to function as an ecological divider, separating completely distinct land-use systems. On one side, nomadic pastoralism; on the other, areas subject to strict conservation and environmental control policies.
Over 4.700 km of animal containment
The fence extends along virtually the entire border between Mongolia and China, which totals approximately 4.710 kilometers. In many sections, it is a permanent barrier, maintained and monitored, with a clear function: to contain herds and limit the shared use of pastures..
This scale transforms the project into something much larger than a simple rural fence. It is a territorial infrastructure that reshapes ecological and economic flows on a continental level.
Pastures as a strategic asset
With the fence, the pasture ceased to be merely a natural resource and began to be treated as... question of sovereigntyControlling where animals can and cannot roam means controlling the pressure on the soil, food production, and the stability of rural communities.
For China, the barrier is also connected to broader policies to combat desertification, which include reforestation, restrictions on grazing, and the creation of environmental exclusion zones. For Mongolia, it represents a profound break with the tradition of free movement of livestock.
Social and cultural impacts
The construction of the fence did not occur without consequences. Nomadic communities, accustomed to traversing long distances, began to face unprecedented physical limitations. Traditional routes were interrupted, and adapting to a compartmentalized territory required changes in their pastoral way of life.
At the same time, the barrier reduced local disputes over pastures and decreased cross-border conflicts related to land use.
Unlike fences built solely for political or military reasons, this structure functions as a artificial ecological boundaryIt separates biomes, regulates animal pressure, and creates two distinct environmental systems from the same natural landscape.
This type of solution reveals how, in certain regions, the simplest engineering—a continuous fence—can have profound and lasting effects on the environment.
From a technical standpoint, the fence doesn't involve sophisticated materials or complex construction. Its strength lies in its length, continuity, and strategic function. Once installed, it shapes human behavior, animal movements, and public policies for decades.
It's the same principle seen in projects like the Dingo Fence in Australia: Linear infrastructure used to contain diffuse problems..
When territory becomes an instrument of control.
The case of the border between Mongolia and China shows how environmental challenges can lead countries to transform entire landscapes into containment systems. The pasture, once a shared and fluid resource, has become a rigid line on the map.
By erecting more than 4.700 kilometers of fences, the two countries made it clear that, in a world pressured by limited resources, even grass can become a matter of national sovereignty.

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