1 MONGOLIA MARKS CENTENNIAL WITH A NEW COURSE FOR CHANGE WWW.EASTASIAFORUM.ORG PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      2 E-MART OPENS FIFTH STORE IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, TARGETING K-FOOD CRAZE WWW.BIZ.CHOSUN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      3 JAPAN AND MONGOLIA FORGE HISTORIC DEFENSE PACT UNDER THIRD NEIGHBOR STRATEGY WWW.ARMYRECOGNITION.COM  PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      4 CENTRAL BANK LOWERS ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 5.2% WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      5 L. OYUN-ERDENE: EVERY CITIZEN WILL RECEIVE 350,000 MNT IN DIVIDENDS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      6 THE BILL TO ELIMINATE THE QUOTA FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN MONGOLIA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      7 THE SECOND NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CENTER TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      8 GREEN BOND ISSUED FOR WASTE RECYCLING WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      9 BAGANUUR 50 MW BATTERY STORAGE POWER STATION SUPPLIES ENERGY TO CENTRAL SYSTEM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      10 THE PENSION AMOUNT INCREASED BY SIX PERCENT WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      КОКС ХИМИЙН ҮЙЛДВЭРИЙН БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫГ ИРЭХ ОНЫ ХОЁРДУГААР УЛИРАЛД ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     "ЭРДЭНЭС ТАВАНТОЛГОЙ” ХК-ИЙН ХУВЬЦАА ЭЗЭМШИГЧ ИРГЭН БҮРД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГ ӨНӨӨДӨР ОЛГОНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГИЙН ОРЛОГО 2040 ОНД 38 ИХ НАЯДАД ХҮРЭХ ТӨСӨӨЛӨЛ ГАРСАН WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ЭРДЭНЭС ОЮУ ТОЛГОЙ” ХХК-ИАС ХЭРЛЭН ТООНО ТӨСЛИЙГ ӨМНӨГОВЬ АЙМАГТ ТАНИЛЦУУЛЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ: ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГААС НЭГ ИРГЭНД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГИЙН ХАДГАЛАМЖ ҮҮСЛЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ENTRÉE RESOURCES” 2 ЖИЛ ГАРУЙ ҮРГЭЛЖИЛСЭН АРБИТРЫН МАРГААНД ЯЛАЛТ БАЙГУУЛАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ORANO MINING”-ИЙН ГЭРЭЭ БОЛОН ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД БООМТЫН ТӨСЛИЙН АСУУДЛААР ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР ХУРАЛДАЖ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     АЖИЛЧДЫН САРЫН ГОЛЧ ЦАЛИН III УЛИРЛЫН БАЙДЛААР ₮2 САЯ ОРЧИМ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     PROGRESSIVE EQUITY RESEARCH: 2025 ОН “PETRO MATAD” КОМПАНИД ЭЭЛТЭЙ БАЙХААР БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     2026 ОНЫГ ДУУСТАЛ ГАДААД АЖИЛТНЫ ТОО, ХУВЬ ХЭМЖЭЭГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХГҮЙ БАЙХ ХУУЛИЙН ТӨСӨЛ ӨРГӨН МЭДҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19    

Category

Events

Events

Name organizer Where
MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

64x64

Hundreds flee homes after flooding in Mongolia capital www.france24.com

Swathes of Asia have been hit by extreme weather that scientists say has been exacerbated by climate change, with over a dozen killed by heavy rain in China since Monday.
In traditionally dry Ulaanbaatar this week, heavy rains have inundated rivers, flooding basement apartments and trapping cars.
Residents of Bayanzurkh District living near the river Selbe told AFP they had been working since the early hours to boost the height of a local dam and stem rising waters caused by heavy rain.
"Our neighbours started to bring dirt and rocks from other places to add more layers on the dam at 3 am," said a 40-year-old resident of one of the worst-affected areas, who gave his name as Delgersaikhan.
"The river level reached the dam at 1 am last night, so we've been working all night and managed to prevent our apartment from getting flooded," he added.
Electricity has also been cut in some buildings as a precaution, with state news agency Montsame reporting that a number of roads in the capital have been closed.
Electricity has been cut in some buildings as a precaution, with state news agency Montsame reporting that a number of roads in the capital have been closed
Electricity has been cut in some buildings as a precaution, with state news agency Montsame reporting that a number of roads in the capital have been closed © BYAMBASUREN BYAMBA-OCHIR / AFP
The rain is set to continue for another two days, according to the country's weather agency.
The government declared a "high alert" in Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene ordering "necessary measures" be taken in response.
Mongolia is traditionally cold and dry, and annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 400 millimetres -- leaving the capital's infrastructure, including the sewage system, ill-equipped to deal with sustained heavy rain.
© 2023 AFP
 
 
 
...


64x64

Footballer wants Mongolia to Manchester United ride to inspire www.bbc.com

A Mongolian footballer who is cycling from his home to the UK to see Manchester United play has said the trip is about living "without regrets".
Ochirvaani Batbold set off from Ulaanbaatar in May and is about a third of the way through his 5,730-mile (9,222km) bike ride to Old Trafford.
The player, who has appeared in the Mongolian Premier League, said he hoped to reach the stadium by December.
The club said it wished him the "best of luck" on the rest of his trip.
Batbold said he set off from the Mongolian capital on 5 May and had already travelled more than 1,864 miles (3,000km).
He has already travelled through China and into Kazakhstan and said the "best bit" so far had been the road to Sayram Lake in Xinjiang, China.
However, he said there had also been difficult moments.
"There were many difficult days with cold, snow and rain, and now very hot days are continuing," he said.
"The hardest day was a snowstorm, but I've seen very beautiful places [and] also met so many good people. I feel so good about everything."
He said he will go on to journey through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France before finally arriving in the UK.
"I will end my story at Old Trafford for my first time," he said.
"I want to create beautiful memories that I will never forget."
Batbold said his journey was inspired by his love of the Red Devils and a scam which saw his football dreams almost crushed by a hoaxer offering a non-existent trial with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in the US.
The footballer, who recently helped Tuv Buganuud FC win the Mongolia Cup and has also played for Bayangol FC and Ulaanbaatar City, told BBC News in 2014 that his dream was "to become a professional football player and play at Old Trafford".
He said when he was contacted by the scammer, he had been "thinking about becoming a professional footballer" and was "very confident".
"When the fake agent contacted me, I thought I had a chance," he said.
"He offered me the opportunity to become a professional footballer [and] I didn't want to miss an opportunity."
He said the scammer eventually took £3,000 from him and his family, which put them on the brink of financial ruin.
"My parents trusted me and gave me the money I needed... but it all ended horribly," he said.
He said he had almost been "too scared to tell my family bad news", but when he did say something, his relatives told him to stay strong and as his story began to circulate, "many kind people" donated money to help them.
He said that outpouring of support inspired him to do something daring and achieve another of his lifelong dreams.
"I thought about everything again," he said.
"I promised myself that I would make my dreams come true, not just for myself, but for those who trusted me and always supported me."
He said he had a love of "adventure and Manchester United" and wanted to "do something that inspires others a lot" and prove that he could "live without regrets".
"So I decided to cycle to Old Trafford," he said.
He said he had been a United fan since 2010 when he saw the side's win over Liverpool, a game which included a famous hat-trick from Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov and a fine performance by the man who would become Batbold's favourite player, Wayne Rooney.
He said from that day, he "supported Man United and especially Wayne Rooney".
"Wazza was such a powerful player," he said.
"I loved his game style."
...


64x64

Groundbreaking ceremony for China-funded railway underpass project held in Mongolia www.xinhuanet.com

A groundbreaking ceremony for a China-funded railway underpass project was held here in the Songinokhairkhan District of Ulan Bator on Wednesday.
Officials from China and Mongolia and project workers attended the ceremony.
The cross-railway travel time is expected to be reduced by about 40 percent, making urban transportation easier.
The project is expected to last 26 months, with construction consuming roughly two-thirds of the time. The work encompasses preparing the subgrade, constructing the road surface, installing culverts, ensuring traffic safety and relocating pipelines.
Ulan Bator, with more than 640,000 vehicles, is home to nearly half of Mongolia's 3.4 million population. The growing population and economy have led to severe traffic congestion.
...


64x64

Executives of over 10 Major World Banking and Financial Institutions to Arrive to Mongolia www.montsame.mn

Mongolian Economic Forum-2023 will start this Sunday. Within the bounds of the "Years to Visit Mongolia,” the Forum will be held on the eve of the National Festival Naadam, on July 9-10.
Our country has been organizing the Economic Forum every year since 2010. In previous forums, economic problems were discussed for domestic solutions, but this time it is more outwards-oriented inviting investors on a large scale, informed Minister of Economy and Development Ch. Khurelbaatar and Deputy Minister G. Tuvdendorj.
Around 1,700 guests and representatives have been registered to participate in the Mongolian Economic Forum-2023, of which 700 are from the private sector and scholars, and 500 are foreign investors and officials of the decision-making level.
Here are the executives, directors, and investors of more than 10 major international banking and financial institutions such as BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, and Goldman Sachs. World's leading media agencies such as CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, ABC News, and Financial Times will highlight this event. Therefore, he emphasized that our country should make good use of this opportunity when high-level officials participate in the Forum on a large scale.
Instead of discussing the previous issues, the Government of Mongolia will present the revival and reform activities and economic projects planned for implementation. In particular, foreigners will be informed of the legal and governance reforms of the investment and business environment.
The Forum will provide a venue for investors to get the latest insight of economic developments in Mongolia, explore potential partnership opportunities for forthcoming projects, and engage in discussions with key policymakers. Moreover, other fresh topics, such as Mongolian role in the global supply chain, its participation in regional trade integration, and Mongolian potential to become a business center of the region, will be touched upon at the Forum.
...


64x64

Mongolia blitz Australia to taste maiden victory in Asian Women's U16 Championship www.asianvolleyball.net

Hangzhou, China, July 6, 2023 – Mongolia completed their campaign in the 1st edition of Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship following a maiden 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19) win against Australia in the 9th-12th playoffs at Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Gymnasium here on Thursday morning.
Mongolia boosted a slight edge 7-6 in the first set before gradually extending it to 20-14. Letting loose their attacks and aces, the Mongolians took the comfortable first set 25-14.
Australia improved on their cooperation and raised their confidence as they trailed closely and once seized the chance to surge ahead 13-12. Nevertheless, Mongolia again gained the upper hand with their stable performance in attack to finally claim the second set 25-22.
Both sides tried hard to maintain their service aggressiveness in the third set featuring several splendid aces and a few errors. With Lillian Kelly attacking powerfully at the net and Florence Liu blocking solidly, Australia managed to level it at 24-24 and went on their impressive form to score two points in a row for the eventual 26-24 win to reduce the gap to 1-2.
In the fourth set Mongolia regrouped and continued to make full use of their exceptional service., while Australia, despite fighting hard to gain some attacks, still failed to cope with the opponents’ versatile tactics and full-equipped cooperation. The Aussies finally handed out the set 19-25.
Outside hitters Shinejargal Khaliunaa and Altantogoo Amarbayasgalan contributed 10 points apiece for the winning side, while outside hitter Lillian Kelly and middle blocker Florence Liu scored 14 points each on the Australia’s loss.
“It was our last match, so we tried our best to win. It’s our first victory so I’m so happy. After losing the third set, we were actually really upset. but we made it again and our teamwork today was better than other games,” said Mongolia’s setter Shinejargal Khaliunaa at the Mixed Zone.
“Mongolia played very well. They had strong serves with powerful attacks. However, in the third set, We won more points and that’s how we won the set. Still, Mongolia was a very good team. They scrimmaged very well and deserved the win today,” said Rachael Georgieff, head coach of Australia, after the match.
...


64x64

Programme, logo and motto of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Mongolia www.vaticannews.va

During a historic visit to the Republic of Mongolia, Pope Francis will meet with political authorities, he will address representatives of the Catholic Church and participate in an ecumenical and interreligious meeting, he will meet with charity workers and celebrate Holy Mass in a sports arena.
A statement released on Thursday by the Holy See Press Office lists the events that make up the Pope’s 43rd international apostolic journey.
The news that the Pope had accepted the invitation of the President of Mongolia and local Church authorities was announced in June, together with the dates of the visit: 31 August to 4 September 2023.
According to the schedule released by the Press Office on Thursday, 6 July, Pope Francis will depart from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on the evening of Thursday, 31 August to arrive at Ulaanbaatar’s “Chinggis Khaan” International Airport on Friday, 1 September at 10 am local time when a welcome ceremony will take place.
The Pope will stay in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, throughout the visit.
The Programme
On Saturday, 2 September, the Holy Father will be greeted at a welcome ceremony in Ulaanbaatar’s Sukhbaatar Square before paying a courtesy visit to the President of Mongolia at the State Palace
Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, also referred to as Khürelsükh Ukhnaa, is the 6th and current president of Mongolia, beginning his term on 25 June 2021 after winning the 2021 Mongolian presidential election.
Pope Francis will then make his first official discourse during a meeting with Authorities, civil society and the Diplomatic Corps in the “Ikh Mongol” hall of the State Palace.
Following this, he will meet with the Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament of Mongolia) and with Prime Minister, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene.
In the afternoon of Friday, the Pope will meet bishops, priests, missionaries and consecrated persons as well as pastoral workers whom he will address in the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral.
On Sunday, 3 September, the Pope will participate, in the morning, in an Ecumenical and Interreligious Meeting in Ulaanbaatar’s “Hun Theatre.”
On Sunday afternoon he will celebrate Holy Mass in the “Steppe Arena” winter sports stadium.
On Monday, 4 September, the last day of the Pope’s visit, he will inaugurate a charity center – the House of Mercy – and meet with staff and volunteers of the organization, before bidding farewell during a Farewell Ceremony at the “Chinggis Khan” airport.
He is scheduled to depart at noon local time and arrive in Rome the same day in the late afternoon, making up for a six-hour time difference between Mongolia and Italy.
"Hoping Together”
Releasing the motto of the apostolic journey - Hoping Together – the Holy See Press Office explained that it was chosen to emphasize “the double meaning of the Holy Father's Apostolic Journey to Mongolia: that of a pastoral visit and of a state visit".
“Hope”, a purely Christian virtue, a statement added, is one that is also widely shared in non-Christian circles. “By associating it with the adverb ‘Together’, the motto “underscores the importance of bilateral cooperation between the Holy See and Mongolia.”
Hoping Together represents a common ideal and also an element that will characterize the journey.
"The presence of the Holy Father represents for this small portion of the People of God a sign of great hope and encouragement and on the other hand the Church that is in Mongolia, with its smallness and marginality, can offer a sign of hope for the universal Church", the Press Office said.
The logo
The Press Office statement also elaborated on the logo that features a map of Mongolia outlined in the red and blue, the colours of the national flag.
Within the borders is the shape of a ger (a traditional Mongolian dwelling), from which yellow smoke (the colour of the Vatican) flows upwards.
To the right of the ger is a cross. The ger and the cross are contained between two vertical inscriptions, in traditional Mongolian language, which echo the motto - "Hoping Together").
The first Pope to visit Mongolia
Pope Francis is the first Pope to visit the East Asian country that borders Russia and China. With just 3.3 million inhabitants it is the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign state.
After the collapse of China’s Qing dynasty in 1911, Mongolia achieved independence from the Republic of China in 1921 after which it operated as a satellite state of the Soviet Union.
After a peaceful Democratic Revolution and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the current social democratic Mongolian’s People’s Party reshaped the country’s political landscape and introduced a new constitution.
The end of religious repression in 1990 allowed for a rebirth of religious freedom and in the majority Buddhist nation, Catholic missionaries returned to rebuild the Church in 1992. There are currently some 1,300 baptised Catholics in the country, administrated by Italian Cardinal Giorgio Marengo.
By Linda Bordoni
...


64x64

Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China www.apnews.com

Pope Francis travels to the periphery of Roman Catholicism later this summer when he becomes the first pontiff to visit Mongolia, a Central Asian nation squeezed between Russia and China with just 1,500 Catholics.
The visit is steeped in geopolitical significance as it will be closely watched by both Russia, which controlled Mongolia during the Soviet era, and China, which is seeking to exert its influence through the Belt and Road initiative.
No pope has visited either of those nations, and the pope is likely to choose to fly over China on his way, rather than Russia, which is waging war in Ukraine. Following papal custom, Francis can be expected to send a brief telegram to Chinese authorities in recognition, from which a word or two of meaning could be parsed, said Giorgio Bernadelli, editorial coordinator of the missionary news organization Asia News.
Francis has been trying to toe a diplomatic line with both countries, sending an envoy to Russia in a bid for a peace deal over Ukraine while seeking to keep relations on an even keel with China, which violated a 2018 accord over bishop nominations.
The Sept. 1-4 schedule released on Thursday is light by papal standards and includes a full day of rest upon arrival, which appears to be a concession to the 86-year-old pope’s recent health issues. Most recently, he was hospitalized to repair a hernia.
Francis will be welcomed on Sept. 2 in a ceremony in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, in a ceremony in the central Sukhbaatar Square, near an imposing statue of the infamous Mongol 13th-century Emperor Ghengis Khan — a symbol of Mongolia’s former glory.
Later that day, the pope will meet with Mongolia’s president, and other top officials, giving the first two of four papal addresses planned for the visit, one to a gathering of authorities, civil society and diplomats, and the other to a group of bishops, priests, missionaries and pastoral workers.
Mongolia has just 1,500 Catholics and 77 missionaries and just one bishop, Bernadelli noted, so it is likely that bishops and priests will attend from elsewhere in the recently-created Central Asian bishops conference, which also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The pope will say Mass on Sunday at the Steppe Arena in his major public appearance, after giving an address to an ecumenical and interreligious meeting earlier in the day. On the last day, he will inaugurate the charity “House of Mercy,” giving his final address before leaving.
The opening of a Catholic charity is a significant move, Bernadelli said, signaling the church’s path forward in the nation that was officially atheist under the Soviets and where Buddhism is the largest religion.
“It will be important for the Catholic community, which is very small and spread out, to be united around the pope,’’ he said.
Mongolia has strived to maintain its political and economic independence from both its Soviet-era patron Moscow — which supplies virtually all of its energy needs — and rising regional power China, which buys more than 90% of its mining exports, mainly coal and copper.
...


64x64

Mongolian Prime Minister’s Visit to China Envisages Deeper Economic Ties www.thediplomat.com

Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai paid an official visit to China from June 26 to July 1, with stops in Beijing, Tianjin, and Ningbo, home of the world’s largest port. During his trip, Mongolia and China finalized a number of cooperation agreements that have previously been discussed, further deepening economic ties, particularly in energy, and infrastructure.
The Mongolian delegation, headed by Oyun-Erdene, was welcomed by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong, Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Chai Wenrui, and Mongolian Ambassador to China Badral Tuvshin. During his week-long trip to China, Oyun-Erdene held an official meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Tianjin, and met with leaders of some Chinese state-owned enterprises.
On June 27, Xi received Oyun-Erdene and the Mongolian delegation at the Great Hall of the People. The high-level meeting between the two leaders, followed by one-on-one meetings with Chinese officials and industry leaders, revealed Ulaanbaatar and Beijing’s shared interest in enriching the two countries’ economic ties within the framework of their comprehensive strategic partnership.
According to the press release of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during the meeting “Xi Jinping stressed that China and Mongolia should always stay committed to respecting each other’s national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, respecting the development paths independently chosen by the two peoples, and firmly supporting each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns.”
In response, Oyun-Erdene stated that “Mongolia is ready to work closely with China to continue respecting and supporting each other’s choice of development paths, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen inter-party and youth exchanges, advance connectivity projects such as cross-border railways and port connectivity between the two countries, and deepen cooperation in economy and trade, investment, energy, green development, anti-corruption, and other areas.”
In the last five years, Mongolia and China have prioritized expanding economic ties in a wide range of sectors. Many of the developmental projects – such as the construction of major railways connecting Mongolian and Chinese trade ports, and the construction of roads and freeways – represent parallel growth with Beijing’s own development. The Oyun-Erdene administration, particularly, has been proactive in bolstering infrastructure agreements, which are a lifeline of Mongolia’s mining and export sector at large.
Oyun-Erdene’s visit to Beijing can be viewed as a follow-up to Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa’s visit to China in November 2022 – or rather a push to actually implement the development projects agreed to during that visit. During Khurelsukh’s meeting with Xi, the Mongolian president stated that Mongolia’s New Revival Policy and its long-term development policy paper, Vision 2050, can be a parallel development strategy of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This is something Oyun-Erdene repeated during his meetings with Xi and other officials.
According to the Office of the Cabinet, Oyun-Erdene pointed out that “Mongolia has completed the construction work of our site to connect Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod, Shiveekhuren-Sekhe, Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch, [and] Khangi-Mandal ports by rail.”
Currently, China buys almost 95 percent of Mongolia’s exports. It’s easy to see, then, why border ports such as Shiveekhuren-Sekhe carry strategic relevance to Ulaanbaatar’s economic security. Investment in these sectors is crucial for Mongolia to meet the demands of a quickly changing economic and geopolitical environment.
Facilitating faster movement through border ports has thus been a key goal for the Mongolian side. The Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch border was closed in 2021 amid China’s pandemic controls. It only resumed normal operation in July 2022. The construction of a 7.1 kilometer railway that links Shiveekhuren-Sekhe Port is expected to be completed in six months. This is part of Ulaanbaatar’s push for Beijing to accelerate the process of implemetning previously discussed projects.
Following his meeting with Xi, Oyun-Erdene met with the leaders of Chinese state-owned enterprises such as Power China, China Energy, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Power China, China State Construction Group, and Norinco. As the Montsame News Agency reported, “About 25 cooperation agreements, totaling three billion yuan [$414 million], were signed during the ‘Mongolia-China Trade and Economic Cooperation’ Forum,” which took place during his state visit.
Moreover, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Mongolian and Chinese agencies responsible for overseeing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) presages greater cooperation between the SOEs of Mongolia and China in renewable energy, technology and innovation, hydroelectric power plants, oil, and gas producing technologies. An important takeaway from the high-level meetings is the financing of mega projects such as the Erdeneburen hydropower plant and the Choibalsan power plant expansion project.
Coinciding with Oyun-Erdene’s visit to Beijing, China hosted the 2023 World Economic Forum’s “Annual Meeting of the New Champions” in Tianjin, sometimes dubbed the “Summer Davos.”
At the WEF, Oyun-Erdene showcased Mongolia’s progress in recovering from the pandemic and introduced his administration’s implementation of the New Recovery Policy. Addressing global leaders from governments and the private sector, Oyun-Erdene encouraged both the private and public sectors to invest in Mongolia’s science, information technology, and sectors that demand innovation and modernization.
Moreover, during a one-on-one meeting with Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Oyun-Erdene discussed Mongolia’s challenge as a landlocked economy and the need for assistance and cooperation, with a particular focus on transportation and logistics sectors. Oyun-Erdene invited Schwab to attend the Mongolia Economic Forum, which will take place from July 9-10 in Ulaanbaatar.
Oyun-Erdene’s week-long official visit to China revealed both intent and motivation on Ulaanbaatar’s part to accelerate the two countries’ economic activities within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Although Oyun-erdene’s visit centered around activating many of the bilateral projects that Mongolia and China have previously discussed, this was also an opportunity for Mongolia to seek investment and promote tourism.
Since he took office in 2021, the Oyun-Erdene administration has heavily invested in new infrastructure projects, specifically to bolster trade with China. It has undertaken major expansions to existing land ports on the border, establishing a comprehensive 3,000 km road network to connect border ports for efficient transportation, and doubling the number of active airports to alleviate pressure on ground-based infrastructure. Free trade zones such as Zamiin-Uud, which already handles 70 percent or more of Mongolia’s total trade volume, are also being established to provide tax and regulatory incentives for business and connect key parts of the transport network.
One major takeaway from Oyun-Erdene’s official visit to China is that both the Mongolian and the Chinese governments are willing to enrich their comprehensive strategic partnership and major development projects will involve state-owned enterprises. While it is paramount for the government to implement policies that can and will diversify the country’s economy, it is equally important to include the private sector in developmental projects.
On a bilateral level, considering Ulaanbaatar’s strong traditional ties with Beijing, the continued exchange of high-level visits entail a parallel growth between the two countries. Mongolia can combine a close relationship with China with greater openness to international investment in general, by diversifying sources of investment.
BY GUEST AUTHOR
Bolor Lkhaajav
Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.
...


64x64

Xi’s metal curbs risk backfiring as G-7 seeks China alternative www.bloomberg.com

China’s decision to control the export of two key metals showed it has some power to retaliate against moves by the US, Japan and Europe to cut Beijing off from advanced technology. But it also risks backfiring.
The new export licensing system unveiled late Monday highlighted China’s dominant position in global production of gallium and germanium, which are used to make chips, electric cars and telecommunications equipment. The announcement — just days before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits Beijing — appears timed to give China leverage as it pushes the White House to remove export controls that risk hobbling the nation’s development.
Yet the measure is a double-edged sword, and may simply accelerate efforts by those countries to reduce dependence on the world’s second-biggest economy. If Beijing did at some point uses these new rules to restrict shipments and cut supply to other nations, prices would likely rise and make it more economical to boost output in Japan, Canada, the US or elsewhere.
“It’s part of the tit-for-tat the PRC is playing with the US and its allies,” said Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. He was referring to the country’s formal name, the People’s Republic of China. “There may be some initial shock to the markets and firms but over time, should these restrictions persist, markets and firms adjust.”
The move underscores the dilemma facing President Xi Jinping as he seeks to counter US efforts to prevent China from accessing the chips needed to dominate technology like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Any reciprocal actions only give the US and Europe more ammunition to push for derisking, something Xi’s government has sought to counter.
“China always takes a tit-for-tat approach,” Roy Lee, Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, said of the new measures, which he called a retaliation to export controls by the US and other democratic nations. These “will become an accelerator for countries including Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to reduce our dependence on China supply of those critical minerals and materials.”
Rare earth weapon
China’s previous efforts to restrict the sale of rare earths have only diminished its market share as other countries work to secure supplies of the metals that aren’t controlled by China.
China first introduced an export licensing system for rare earths in the 1990s while also gradually ramping up taxes, squeezing companies in Japan and elsewhere that relied on Chinese supplies. But the big shift happened in 2010, when Beijing temporary halted exports to Japan in reaction to a collision between a Chinese fishing boat and the Japanese coast guard near islands claimed by both countries.
That incident set off a race to find alternative supplies from China. Output in Australia and the US subsequently increased, pushing China’s share of mining output down to 70% of global supply in 2022 from a peak of 98% in 2010, according to the US Geological Survey.
China currently accounts for about 94% of the world’s gallium production, according to the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. Still, the metals aren’t particularly rare or difficult to find, though China’s kept them cheap and they can be relatively high-cost to extract.
“Imposing export restrictions risks reducing market dominance,” researchers from Eurasia Group including Anna Ashton wrote in a note. “If implemented as is, China’s new export mineral restrictions could offer fresh impetus for foreign manufacturers to shift production out of China, accelerating the trend of supply chain diversification.”
China said the new licensing system for exports of gallium and germanium, along with their chemical compounds, was aimed at protecting national security — the same justification given by the US and it allies for their export controls.
The announcement nevertheless sparked concern in Europe about potential disruption to supply chains in the short term and is likely to spur discussion about how to reduce the bloc’s reliance on China.
The European Union announced a new economic security strategy last month and launched a Critical Raw Materials Act to ease financing and permitting for new mining and refining projects, and also to strike trade alliances to reduce the bloc’s dependence on Chinese suppliers. If the new rules were used to restrict exports, that escalation of tensions could threaten the bloc’s ability to transform its economy to become more environmentally friendly.
The immediate effect of the changes seems to be limited, according to a statement from the Korean industry ministry on Tuesday, which noted that there are other supplies of the two metals.
However even if China doesn’t use this new rule to limit exports at some point in the future, it arguably has more to lose than the US, particularly as its mounting economic challenges raise questions about whether it will ever take over as the world’s biggest economy.
Beijing’s most effective tool to sanction others is to cut off access to its huge market, or limit exports of strategically important goods. But this further drives the decoupling from China that Beijing wants to avoid, as it would undermine its stated goals of ensuring the nation is dominant in new technologies and essential in global supply chains.
At the moment, however, the growing ideological struggle between the US and China is taking precedence over globalization, Morris Chang, the founder of chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., said at an industry event in Taipei on Tuesday.
“Right now national security and technology and economic leadership take priority over globalization,” he said. “The relations between US and China are more about competition than collaboration.”
(With assistance from Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Betty Hou and Jennifer Creery)
...


64x64

China’s land links with Mongolia will run 24/7, opening up greater access to critical coal www.scmp.com

Mongolia plans to increase its number of 24-hour ports and transport links along the border with China, pinning economic-growth hopes on the post-Covid recovery on its southern neighbour, according to a high-ranking Mongolian official.
Port recovery is “one of the pillars” of Mongolia’s economic development, according to the minister in charge of road and transport development, Byambatsogt Sandag, and the country “intends to expose all ports, connect them by road and rail”.
“In the future, we will make Gashuunsukhait, Hangi, Bichigt and Bulgan ports 24-hour operational, which is important for the further expansion of trade and economic cooperation between [China and Mongolia],” he said in a written response to the Post.
Sandag was one of the ministers of the Mongolian delegation that visited China by joining the World Economic Forum held in the northern port city of Tianjin between June 27 and 29.
During the visit, Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene and Minister of Border Port Recovery B. Tulga met with director general of the General Administration of Customs, Zhao Zenglian, and they discussed the 24-hour operation of the Zamin-Uud and Erlian ports.
All-day operations will also extend to other ports on the 4,700km (2,920-mile) land border between the two countries.
Both governments aim to develop ports, which Sandag described as an “air vent” that opens occasionally now but will become more akin to a “door” that is always open.
The closer bilateral economic relations came as Mongolia launched its “New Recovery” policy in 2021, which aims to spur investment in areas such as energy, border ports, industrialisation, urban and rural recovery, green development, and public sector efficiency.
Total trade value from Mongolia to China reached US$4.2 billion for the first quarter, surging 1.7 times year on year, according to Mongolian official data. Coal comprises 63 per cent of Mongolian exports.
During the Mongolian prime minister’s visit to China, the contract for the eastern region railway construction was signed for US$1.8 billion, according to Sandag.
“Within the framework of the development of the eastern railway corridor, a major construction project is being started to renovate the railway line from the Russian-Mongolian border to Ereentsav-Choibalsan, and to construct a new railway from Choibalsan to the Mongolian-Chinese Bichigt-Zunkhatavch port,” he added.
“In this regard, the eastern railway corridor connecting Mongolia-Russia-China will be created, and our country will have the second railway corridor connecting Asia and Europe.”
Mongolia’s railway in the eastern region is planned to be 420km long, running through Choibalsan, the fourth-largest city, to the Khuut coal mine and Bichigt, the border-crossing station.
Sumiya Chuluunbaatar, a non-resident fellow at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of International Studies, said the construction of railways in these southern regions of Mongolia is one of the most critical factors in becoming “a land-connected country”.
“During the epidemic, the Mongolian people felt the importance of building infrastructure and customs-clearance capabilities,” he added.
Chuluunbaatar explained that a work delegation from China’s Liaoning province paid a visit to Mongolia recently, as they want to turn Liaoning ports such as Dalian and Jinzhou into “Mongolia’s new Tianjin Port”, which requires railway construction in eastern Mongolia and a connection with Northeast China.
There is a great need for Mongolia, Russia and China to expand their road and rail corridors … to learn from China
Byambatsogt Sandag, Mongolian minister
Sandag said in his written response that the development of the road and transport sector is the “lifeblood of the economy” because the development of other sectors depends on the “infrastructure, accessibility, quality of services, transparency and speed”.
“In terms of new infrastructure, there is a great need for Mongolia, Russia and China to expand their road and rail corridors, to have new corridors, to connect their ports, to learn from China’s urban planning and infrastructure experience in reducing congestion in Ulaanbaatar, and to attract investment in this area,” he noted.
Trade between China and Mongolia via Ganqmod Port in Inner Mongolia – the largest highway port between China and Mongolia – cleared nearly 8 million tonnes worth of goods in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of more than four times from last year, Xinhua reported.
The volume of imported coal from Mongolia was 7.68 million tonnes, up 525.4 per cent year on year, the Chinese media added, while imports of refined copper powder grew by 12.2 per cent year on year to 201,200 tonnes.
“Trucks and food shipments from China to Russia are increasing,” Sandag said. “We are inviting both Russian and Chinese sides to the construction of the Eastern Region Railway Corridor.”
Kh. Baatarkhuu, a Mongolian author and one of the participants of the delegation to China joining the World Economic Forum, called the resolution on operating checkpoints along the border between both countries “very important”.
“If there is an increase of specific railroads to connect the ports, the amount of coal exported from Mongolia will at least double in size,” he added.
...


  • Terms of Reference
  • About
  • Contact Us

Managed by: B2BMongolia www.b2bmongolia.com

Events

News

Facebook