China, Mongolia reach broad consensuses on strengthening ties

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia have reached a wide range of consensuses during the visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Ulan Bator on Sunday and Monday.

When meeting the press together with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh after holding talks here on Monday, Wang said that he has witnessed encouraging changes in Ulan Bator since his last visit two years ago and felt the vitality of the vast grassland.

As a friendly neighbor, China is truly glad to see the rapid progress made by Mongolia and is full of expectations for its development and revitalization, he added.

Wang expounded on the consensuses reached by two sides during his visit.

Both countries believed that in the face of the current complicated and ever-changing international and regional situation, China and Mongolia are closely connected with a shared future so they should be good neighbors more valuable than gold, good brothers sharing weal and woe and good partners striving for common development.

The two sides are willing to deepen the three alignments between the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Prairie Road development strategy, the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia's New Revival Policy, and China's "two-stage" strategic plan and Mongolia's long-term development policy, so as to create three engines for further development of bilateral relations.

Both sides reaffirmed respect for each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firm mutual support on issues regarding each other's core interests.

China supports Mongolia in maintaining stability, focusing on development and exploring a development path in line with its national conditions. China appreciates that Mongolia reaffirms its commitment to the one-China principle and opposes interference in China's internal affairs concerning Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, among others.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation at the border, and facilitate the reopening of ports and connection of railways and highways to the largest possible extent so as to keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded.

The two sides signed a memorandum on cross-border railway transportation at the Gants Mod port, which will play an important role in helping Mongolia expand its opening-up and achieve strong growth.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, mining and energy, science and technology, agriculture and animal husbandry, build major demonstration projects in areas including infrastructure and energy, and strive to achieve coordinated development and common prosperity.

China and Mongolia pledged to push ahead with the construction of the Erdeneburen hydropower plant in a coordinated manner and work faster to address the electricity supply for people in western Mongolia.

The two countries voiced their support for the early implementation of livelihood projects including renovating shanty-town areas, and building sewage treatment and meat processing plants.

The two sides will enhance cooperation in afforestation and desertification control. China appreciates Mongolia's plan to plant one billion trees and China has also proposed planting 70 billion trees in the next 10 years. China hopes that the two countries support each other in greening their homeland and safeguarding the green land and blue sky.

China and Mongolia also agreed to continue the cooperation to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and protect lives. They will increase direct flights between the two countries to facilitate personnel exchanges. China supports Mongolian students in returning to China to resume classes at an early date. They agreed to strengthen youth exchanges and sub-national cooperation to consolidate bilateral friendship.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, uphold true multilateralism and open regionalism, push forward the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, so as to jointly promote the development and prosperity of Asia and build a community with a shared future for mankind.