Ties with Mongolia to be boosted

CHINESE President Xi Jinping met with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga on the sidelines of the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Xi said China will enhance exchanges and cooperation with Mongolia and constantly advance the China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partnership guided by the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and building friendship and partnership with its neighbors.

China respects Mongolia’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the development path chosen by the Mongolian people themselves, Xi said.

The two sides should continue to promote the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia’s Development Road program, ensure a leading and guiding role for major projects in bilateral pragmatic cooperation, and vigorously support border regions in expanding exchanges and cooperation, he added.

The Chinese president said Mongolia is welcome to board China’s “express train of development” and share China’s reform and opening-up achievements, so as to realize its own high-quality development. He said China supports Mongolia in developing animal husbandry and processing industry and will import more farm and pasture products from Mongolia.

Battulga said Mongolia is willing to actively participate in the building of the Belt and Road, strengthen cooperation with China in such areas as trade, electricity, farm and pasture, and infrastructure construction, and advance the construction of the economic corridor linking Mongolia, China and Russia, so as to promote the common development of the countries in the region.