Mongolia-donated sheep arrive in north China border city

Photo taken on Oct. 22, 2020 shows the sheep donated by Mongolia at Erenhot Port in Erenhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Over a dozen trucks loaded with 4,000 sheep from Mongolia arrived in the China-Mongolia border city of Erenhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Thursday. This was the first batch of 30,000 sheep donated by Mongolia in support of China's COVID-19 epidemic fight. According to a bilateral agreement, the sheep are transported to Erenhot in batches, where they are slaughtered and processed before being sent to central China's Hubei Province, the former frontier of China's epidemic fight. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

HOHHOT, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Over a dozen trucks loaded with 4,000 sheep from Mongolia arrived in the China-Mongolia border city of Erenhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Thursday.

This was the first batch of 30,000 sheep donated by Mongolia in support of China's COVID-19 epidemic fight.

Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga in February visited China at the critical stage of China's COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, and promised to offer 30,000 sheep as a token of support.

China has also actively provided medical supplies to Mongolia and shared prevention and treatment experience as well as information.

Dozens of Chinese customs inspectors dressed in white protective clothing on Thursday inspected sheep-carrying vehicles at the Erenhot checkpoint. Previously, the animals had undergone quarantine in Mongolia.

According to a bilateral agreement, the sheep are transported to Erenhot in batches, where they are slaughtered and processed before being sent to central China's Hubei Province, the former frontier of China's epidemic fight.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between China and Mongolia is still active under strict epidemic prevention and control measures. From January to Oct. 14, a total of 1,820 China-Europe freight train trips were made through Erenhot, surpassing the total amount of last year.

As the largest China-Mongolia border city, Erenhot exported 68,000 tonnes of Chinese fresh fruits and vegetables to Mongolia in the first eight months of this year, up 12.5 percent year on year.

Baatarkhuu Khorloo, chairman of the Mongolian Association for Chinese History and Culture, said sheep are the best gifts in Mongolia.

"In the folk customs of Mongolia, sheep represent friendship and peace. When its neighbor was hit by the coronavirus, Mongolia sent a generous gift of 30,000 sheep to express support," he said.