AKIPRESS.COM - President Xi Jinping held talks with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh of Mongolia at the Great Hall of the People during his state visit to China.
President Xi welcomed President Khurelsukh and pointed out that the two presidents meeting again after two months as promised fully reflects the high level of China-Mongolia relations.
President Xi underscored that China and Mongolia will respect each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the choice of development path. They will support each other on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns. They will enhance dialogue and cooperation between various departments and at all levels, and increase mutual learning on governance. The two sides will seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Development Road Initiative, between the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia’s New Recovery Policy, and between China’s two-step development strategy and Mongolia’s “Vision-2050” long-term development policy. These three lines of effort will deepen the China-Mongolia relationship and provide strong impetus to its growth.
China is ready to step up cooperation with Mongolia in the key areas of economy, trade, energy, mining and connectivity, while expanding cooperation on information technology and livestock-products deep processing. The competent departments of the two countries will stay in close touch, work for an early opening of new connectivity channels, and actively advance the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor as well as the section of China-Russia natural gas pipeline in Mongolia.
China applauds Mongolia’s “Billion Trees” initiative, and is ready to discuss with Mongolia the establishment of a cooperation center to combat desertification. The two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation between legislatures, governments, political parties and at the sub-national levels. They will work more closely on science and technology, education, health, tourism, media, youth and people-to-people exchanges, so as to cement China-Mongolia friendship and benefit the two peoples. China will actively support the construction of a Mongolian youth sports center and other projects as new landmarks of China-Mongolia friendship.
President Khurelsukh expressed congratulations once again on the successful 20th CPC National Congress and congratulated President Xi on his re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. As permanent neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, Mongolia and China are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. The two sides have rendered each other support and assistance during the pandemic and jointly responded to global challenges, a vivid example of “a friend in need is a friend indeed”. Mongolia is ready to work with China to increase political interactions, firmly support each other, respect each other’s choice of development path, and deepen the iron-clad friendship between the two countries. President Khurelsukh reiterated that Mongolia firmly upholds the one-China policy, which it will never change. China is a peace-loving country that has never invaded other countries in its history but has sincerely helped others develop. China’s Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are for humanity’s peace and development. Mongolia fully supports them. Mongolia is ready to work with China to further synergize their strategies, pursue Belt and Road cooperation, expand and deepen cooperation on economy, trade, investment, minerals, energy, infrastructure, climate response, green development and desertification treatment, and build up the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor. As the international and regional situation is going through profound and complex changes, it is important that the two sides carry forward Asian values and jointly uphold peace, stability and development in Asia. Mongolia commends China’s efforts for upholding world peace, stability and development and the international system with the UN at its core. It will strengthen communication and collaboration with China in international affairs, in a joint effort for greater peace and development in the region.
The two sides issued a Joint Statement on Advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the New Era Between the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia, agreeing to work together to advance modernization and toward a community with a shared future featuring peaceful co-existence, mutual support and win-win cooperation.
At the end of the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents covering economy, trade, investment, customs and desertification mitigation.