China, Mongolia issue joint statement on all-round cooperation

China and Mongolia issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership on Wednesday as Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj wrapped up his three-day visit.

Invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Elbegdorj made a state visit to China and held meetings with Xi and other senior leaders on cooperation in bilateral and multilateral fields from Monday to Wednesday.

The current China-Mongolia relationship is the "best ever" in history, the joint statement said, stressing that the two sides will unswervingly push forward exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

The statement touched on cooperation in politics, defense, counter-crime, economy, trade, investment, people-to-people exchanges, global and regional affairs, and so on.

Both sides will actively promote signing a treaty on aligning China's Belt and Road initiative and Mongolia's Steppe Road plan, the statement said, adding the two sides support financing cooperation between Mongolia and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund in big infrastructure projects.

China backs Mongolia's efforts to join the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), supports it to actively take part in East Asia cooperation and supports it to participate in the East Asia Summit and the China, Japan, ROK cooperation in an appropriate manner, said the statement.

The statement vows support for trilateral cooperation among China, Mongolia and Russia and calls for completing the drafting of a program for the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.

China also agrees with Elbegdorj's initiative to host a dialogue on Northeast Asia security in Ulan Bator, it said.

Mongolia invited China's leader to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in the country next year, the statement said, noting China has provided significant support for the event.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Elbegdorj earlier in the day that China is ready to work with Mongolia to promote the summit to yield results on cementing peace and stability, strengthening unity and mutual trusts and boosting growth and prosperity.

As for economic cooperation, Li said that China would like to work with Mongolia to give full play to the complementary advantages on economy, conduct cooperation on production capacity, provide assistance to Mongolia on resource development, infrastructure construction and the industrialization process.

Stressing that the global economic and financial situation keeps fluctuating recently, the premier said developing countries need to make joint efforts to deal with the economic downward pressure.

For his part, Elbegdorj said Mongolia is willing to make the best use of bilateral mechanisms including the intergovernmental joint committee, expand trade on energy resource and livestock product.

He also called on both sides to forge ahead with cooperation on major projects and financial investment, explore to conduct negotiation on free trade agreement, enhance building of cross-border economic zone and transportation construction.

In the morning, China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Elbegdorj.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, said the two countries should further strengthen parliamentary cooperation.

He said the NPC was ready to work with Mongolia's State Great Hural, the highest legislature, to strengthen their exchanges and make full use of a regular exchange mechanism, scheduled to be initiated at the end of this month.

Elbegdorj echoed Zhang saying Mongolia would further enhance the bilateral parliamentary exchanges.

It is Elbegdorj's second trip to China this year. The Mongolian president visited Beijing in September to attend the commemoration marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Endi