On October 12, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene held a virtual meeting with Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang.

During the meeting, the two countries’ Prime Ministers exchanged views on a wide range of matters such as politics, trade, economy, and cooperation during the pandemic, and affirmed willingness to further develop the Mongolia-China comprehensive strategic partnership relations.

Highlighting that the two countries have mutually supported one another, and have had a model way of cooperation so far during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene expressed gratitude to the Government of China for providing support in Mongolia’s fight against the pandemic. 

They then underlined the possibility of further expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation and bringing it to a new level, and exchanged views on opportunities for some large-scale projects. In order to reach bilateral trade turnover to USD 10 billion, the two sides also agreed to have active cooperation between the corresponding organizations. In its framework, the sides pledged to give support for increasing coal export from Mongolia, and establishing long-term commercial agreements between entities on the basis that measures are improved for controlling the COVID-19 infection.

Furthermore, the two Prime Ministers reached an agreement on urgently transporting the coal accumulated at Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint as well as having the issue regarding the 4,575 containers to be delivered to Mongolia that is currently at the Tianjin Port of China, resolved before winter. 

Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene noted the significance of autoroads and railroads in bilateral trade turnover and having active economic cooperation, and put forth a suggestion to cooperate in accelerating the construction of railroads at Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod, Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch, Khangi-Mandal, and Shiveekhuren-Sekhee border checkpoints. The sides finalized the border point for the railroad at Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod checkpoint, and agreed to actively carry out works to establish green gateways at corresponding border checkpoints. 

During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in the environmental sector in order to fight against climate change, and expressed that the two Governments will actively cooperate in the framework of jointly implementing a large-scale project on desertification and dust storms per the agreement reached between the two countries’ Heads of State.

As neighboring countries, views were also exchanged on cooperating in production and export of renewable energy in the southern region of Mongolia. 

The sides expressed support for cooperation in involving private entities of China in projects aimed at developing Ulaanbaatar into a “smart” city, and reducing traffic congestion.