Russia to conduct joint military exercises with China and Mongolia www.uawire.org

Russia and China, along with Mongolia, are planning to hold large-scale military exercises, including simulating a nuclear attack, reports Voice of America, citing high-ranking US officials.

Korean Air donates computers to schools in Mongolia www.asia.etbtravelnews.global

Korean Air held a donation ceremony yesterday at the National Centre for Lifelong Education in Baganuur, Mongolia, after providing computers and school supplies to improve the local students’ access to Information Communication Technologies (ICT). According to the airline, the donation is part of Korean Air’s bid to bridge the digital divide that local students face in Baganuur, Mongolia, where “Korean Air Forest” is located. In 2013, Korean Air started supporting local educational institutions in Baganuur, by donating computers to selected public schools each year. The Baganuur National Centre for Lifelong Education was founded in 1997 to provide local residents with computer education. The ages of students range from 12 to 60. Korean Air donated 20 computers to the centre, and 10 to 10 public kindergartens in Baganuur, providing educational opportunities to Mongolians and improving their access to rapidly advancing technologies. Korean Air’s relationship with the region goes back to 2004, when the airline began planting trees. A section of the barren Mongolian desert has now turned into a 44ha (440,000m2) forest with around 120,000 trees. The Korean Air forest symbolizes the friendly relations between South Korea and Mongolia. Korean Air employees actively participate in volunteer work for the local community. Employees at Korean Air Ulaanbaatar office visit an orphanage in Baganuur every year to deliver donations, and Inha University Hospital of Hanjin Group has been participating in medical volunteer work for the underprivileged in Mongolia. As a leading global carrier, Korean Air will continuously support global volunteer activities in order to perform its corporate social responsibility as part of company’s initiatives to give back to society. Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.global

Mongolian PM meets Chinese FM to enhance bilateral ties www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh met visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Ikh Tenger Complex in Ulan Bator on Saturday.

Khurelsukh asked Wang to convey his best regards to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

He said that Mongolia and China are long-standing neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners, and the current smooth development of bilateral relations has become a model for friendly neighbors.

"Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and maintains that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of the Chinese territory, and issues concerning Tibet and Taiwan are China's internal affairs," the Mongolian prime minister said.

He noted that there are no political, economic, territorial, religious and other questions between Mongolia and China, and the cooperation between the two countries has great potential and broad prospects.

He said that Mongolia is committed to the integration of its Prairie Road development initiative and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the country hopes to deepen cooperation with China in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, energy and infrastructure construction, and elevate bilateral ties to a higher level.

The Mongolian side sincerely thanks China for its support and assistance to Mongolia's development and improving people's livelihood over the past years.

He said that Mongolia highly appreciates China's support for the construction of a waste water processing plant in Ulan Bator, which will make an important contribution to improving the city's ecological environment and the people's quality of life.

Next year will mark the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties, Khurelsukh said, expressing the hope that the two sides will take this opportunity to accelerate the development of bilateral relations, iron out a new blueprint for the two countries' future cooperation, and work together to push bilateral relations to a new level.

Wang conveyed the cordial greetings from Premier Li to Khurelsukh.

He said that China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, and that strengthening the all-round cooperation and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries are the only right choice for the two sides.

The Chinese side reaffirms its respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mongolia, and appreciates the Mongolian government's reiteration of its firm adherence to the one-China policy and its confirmation of always supporting each other concerning the other side's core interests.

Wang said that China-Mongolia political mutual trust has grown stronger, expressing the hope that relationship between the two countries will develop rapidly and healthily.

He said that the Chinese side appreciates Mongolia's active response and support for the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that China is ready to work with Mongolia to work out a cooperation outline on the basis of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two countries, and promote the early arrival of more projects.

The Chinese foreign minister also said that China is ready to help Mongolia translate its resources into development advantages, improve its self-development capabilities, achieve economic diversification and improve the people's livelihood in building the Belt and Road together.

He said that the two sides should work closely together to accelerate the process of signing the bilateral free trade agreement and achieve a 10-billion-U.S.-dollar target for bilateral trade as early as possible.

He noted that China is willing to cooperate with the Mongolian side to seize the important opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year, to maintain close contacts at all levels and promote continuous progress in China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of the two peoples.

On the same day, Wang and Khurelsukh attended the launching ceremony of construction of a waste water processing plant in Ulan Bator. He and his Mongolian counterpart Damdin Tsogtbaatar inspected a special lane at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulan Bator which was built in the framework of a project to enhance customs clearance facilitation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Is China secretly building up its huge gold stockpile? www.rt.com

Official data from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) shows the country’s gold reserves have not increased since 2016, when Donald Trump was elected US president. They stayed unchanged at 59.24 million ounces (1,843 tons).
As of the end of June, the PBOC valued its precious metal reserves at $74.1 billion.

Centerra, Kyrgyz Gov’t delay completion of deal over Kumtor mine www.mining.com

Canada's Centerra Gold (TSX:CG) has once again agreed to extend the deadline for completion of all conditions included in a deal it signed in September with the Kyrgyz government, ending long-dragged environmental disputes over the firm’s Kumtor gold mine, the country’s largest.

Mongolia, China aim for 3 million mutual travellers annually www.zgm.mn

Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Wang Yi is visiting Mongolia until August 25 at the invitation of his Mongolian counterpart Tsogtbaatar Damdin. According to authorities, sides discussed regional and international cooperation, as well as activating Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in selected sectors. Last June, President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa expressed his interest in fastening the projects connected to the economic corridor and his Chinese counterpart announced his alignment with the initiation during a trilateral meeting with the Russian Federation. Also, Mongolia and China have signed 36 agreements worth USD 4.6 billion, including 300MW coal-fired power plant in Buuruljuut and 100MW power project in Zavkhan aimag, during the bilateral business meeting which took place earlier this year. During the three-day visit, Chinese Foreign Minister will visit the Chinggis Khaan airport for the special passage established in the check-in section opened under the Travel Facilitation project of Belt and Road initiation, and attend the opening ceremony of Ulaanbaatar Wastewater Treatment Plant project, which is financed by the PRC under the feasibility study of France.

No alcohol at work, Mongolia tells its civil servants www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The government of Mongolia has decided to prohibit government employees from drinking alcohol during work hours, and impose a ban on keeping alcoholic beverages at governmental organizations at all levels, the government's press office announced on Thursday.

Bilateral trade turnover to be reached USD10 billion by 2020 www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi is paying an official visit to Mongolia on August 23-25, at the invitation of his Mongolian counterpart D.Tsogtbaatar.

The formal measures of the visit commenced with official talks of the Foreign Ministers. Afterwards, Foreign Minister of Mongolia D. Tsogtbaatar and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Mongolia and the People’s Republic of China on marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations of the two countries and ‘2019-2020 Cooperation Plan’ between the Foreign Ministries. Following the signing ceremony, the Ministers made a report to the press.

At the press conference, Minister D.Tsogtbaatar said, “Our official talks wrapped up successfully. We have exchanged views on strengthening bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership relations, deepening mutual understanding and political trust, intensifying trade and economic cooperation and launching big projects. Moreover, the sides agreed to make effort to increase bilateral trade turnover in order to eliminate a dependency of Mongolia’s economy from loans and assistance and to secure balanced sustainable development. 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. The People’s Republic of China is a country that recognized sovereignty of Mongolia and Mongolia backed China on strengthening its position at the United Nations.”

“During the talks held today, we agreed that China would augment its investment to sectors except mining when increasing its investment to Mongolia. An action of establishing Free Trade Agreement is starting. We also agreed to launch cooperation in ZamynUud-Erenhot zones. The sides review that the visit is effective to activate and continue friendly ties between Mongolia and China,” underlined D. Tsogtbaatar.

Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi said, “I have exchanged views with Mongolian side on four matters. Firstly, mutual political trust and support will be enhanced. The comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides will be enriched with new content. Secondly, bilateral relations will be intensively developed through the opportunities of comprehensive strategic partnership. Thirdly, development of the two countries will be strengthened in accordance with the Road and Belt. Fourthly, bilateral ties will be elevated into a new level on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.”

“Moreover, we reached a number of important agreements: to respect national interests of each other, to protect political foundations of both sides, to carry out Belt and Road in line with the Development Road Program of Mongolia and make a plan of action, to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Additionally, the sides signed an intergovernmental Memorandum on celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Both sides will work on bringing bilateral trade turnover to USD 10 billion by 2020. In addition, China is willing to accept Mongolia’s proposal to increase the export of agricultural and mining products,” said Wang Yi.

The same day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid courtesy calls on the President of Mongolia Kh.Battulga and Speaker of the Parliament M.Enkhbold.

Furthermore, the Minister will attend the launching of construction of a new Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ulaanbaatar on August 25 and will visit rural areas to get acquainted with issues on regional and border cooperation.

B.Batchimeg

Inflation rate stands at 7.7 percent nationwide www.gogo.mn

The National Statistical Office reported that the overall rate of inflation stood at 7.7 percent nationwide and at 8.8 percent in Ulaanbaatar as of the end of July, nearing a target rate of 8 percent specified in the central bank's Monetary Policy Guidelines for 2018.

8th Asia-Pacific Forum on Renewable Energy takes place in Ulaanbaatar www.gogo.mn

From August 22 through 24, the 8th Asia-Pacific Forum on Renewable Energy is being held in Ulaanbaatar. Over 150 delegates from China, Germany, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Japan, and Bhutan are attending the forum to discuss renewable energy development prospects, electricity savings, as well as electricity storage technology.