Joint building of Belt and Road highlighted

China to further promote high-quality cooperation, share development opportunities, President Xi Jinping tells world leaders attending key forum in Beijing

Ukhnaa Khurelsukh

Mongolia

President Xi Jinping called on Mongolia on Thursday to play a greater role in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a gateway linking Europe and Asia when meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.

Xi said that Mongolia, which was among the first to support the Belt and Road Initiative, is a natural partner in jointly building the Belt and Road.

Over the past decade, China and Mongolia have achieved greater synergy between their development strategies and witnessed encouraging results in cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, connectivity and livelihood projects, he said.

Xi said that the construction of the Belt and Road shares broad cooperation opportunities with Mongolia's "Steppe Road Program" development strategy.

He said that China is willing to uphold mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity with Mongolia, support each other in safeguarding core interests, and build a solid foundation for the China-Mongolia community with a shared future.

China will continue to help Mongolia revitalize its economy, promote the construction of relevant border ports in an orderly manner and open up new channels for connectivity between the two countries, he said.

As the China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center has been established, Xi said China is willing to continue supporting Mongolia's "Planting One Billion Trees" plan.

He also expressed China's willingness to expand China-Mongolia-Russia cooperation and steadily promote the construction of the trilateral economic corridor.

Khurelsukh congratulated China for the successful hosting of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, saying that its outcomes will contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and give new momentum to global economic growth.

The two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in areas including cross-border railways, green and lowcarbon development and the digital economy.

MO JINGXI