Xi: Boost ties with Mongolia

President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. WANG ZHUANGFEI / CHINA DAILY

President calls for enhanced bilateral strategic communication, teamwork

China and Mongolia should enhance strategic communication and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Xi made the remark while meeting with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Battulga is on a five-day visit to China that started on Wednesday. He also is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

With the two presidents as witnesses, China and Mongolia signed cooperation documents to connect the Belt and Road Initiative with the Mongolia-proposed Path of Development Initiative. Xi hosted a ceremony to welcome Battulga before their talks.

Hailing Mongolia as a good neighbor, friend and partner of China, Xi said that the bilateral relationship has entered a fast track.

China will continue to support Mongolia's efforts to promote economic development and improve the people's livelihood, Xi said.

The two countries should uphold the right political direction, push forward cooperation in all areas and become each other's strategic partner with mutual respect and trust, he said.

Xi said the two countries should maintain high-level exchanges and respect each other's core interests and major concerns.

He also called for greater effort to advance practical cooperation in jointly building the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.

China and Mongolia should streamline their trading structure and explore their cooperation potential, Xi said, adding that the two countries should enhance border exchanges and jointly build a prosperous border to facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The two countries should enhance communication and coordination in global and regional affairs and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi said.

Battulga reaffirmed Mongolia's commitment to the one-China policy, saying that Taiwan and Tibet are China's territory and matters related to Taiwan and Tibet are China's domestic affairs.

It's a priority of Mongolia's diplomacy to develop a long-term friendly neighborhood and enhance cooperation with China, he said.

Mongolia would like to work with China to draw a blueprint for bilateral relations and connect the Path of Development Initiative with the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

The two countries should enhance cooperation in such areas as trade, electricity, agriculture and animal husbandry, infrastructure construction and airlines, he said.

Mongolia appreciates China's role in maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, Battulga said, adding that Mongolia would like to enhance coordination with China on regional affairs.