By Bochen Han
China and Mongolia are becoming closer politically and economically, but what do their citizens think?
In the joint statement issued last week during the final day of Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj’s three-day visit to China, the China-Mongolia relationship is touted as being the “best ever” in history. China-Mongolia relations have indeed grown more intimate in recent years. Just last year China upgraded its relationship with Mongolia from a mere “strategic partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” which covers security and political cooperation.
It’s no secret that Mongolia is heavily dependent on China. According to 2015 data from Trading Economics, China accounts for 89 percent of Mongolia’s exports and 26 percent of its imports. The slowdown of the Chinese economy in fact affected the Mongolian economy so badly that the government has considered bureaucrat employment and salary cuts and sales of company shares in state-owned sectors like postal service and energy. In the words of founder and director of the research firm Independent Mongolian Metal & Mining Research Dale Choi, “when China sneezes, [Mongolia] gets a cold”.
Perhaps most tellingly of the relationship, Mongolia cancelled a visit by the Dalai Lama last year in favor of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a move sources claim was the result of pressure from China.
But while Mongolian and Chinese leaders and businessmen may be taking all possible steps to not antagonize each other, the story is more complex from the perspective of their citizens.
Read the full story at The Diplomat