[China and Mongolia]
The People's Republic of China and Mongolia achieved smooth development in their strategic partnership and made fresh progress in practical cooperation in various fields.
Political trust was strengthened by frequent high-level visits. In September, President Xi Jinping met with President Tsakhia Elbegdorj on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Kyrgyz Republic. In January, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo visited Mongolia during which he held talks with Chairman of the State Great Hural Zandaakhuu Enkhbold and met with President Elbegdorj and Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag. In May, State Councilor Yang Jiechi visited Mongolia and had meetings with President Elbegdorj, Prime Minister Altankhuyag, Deputy Prime Minister Dendev Terbishdagva and Foreign Minister Luvsanvandan Bold. In July, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping and NPC Vice Chairman Qiangba Puncog went to Mongolia to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Elbegdorj. In October, Prime Minister Altankhuyag visited China, had talks with Premier Li Keqiang, and met with President Xi Jinping and NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang. During the visit, the two sides signed cooperation documents including the Medium- to Long-term Development Guideline for China-Mongolia Strategic Partnership. In April, Chairman of the State Great Hural Enkhbold came to China for the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference and met with President Xi Jinping and NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang. In September, Deputy Chairman of the State Great Hural Radnaasumberel Gonchigdorj attended the Third China-Eurasia Expo in China and met with Vice President Li Yuanchao. In September, Deputy Chairman of the State Great Hural Miyeegombo Enkhbold attended the ninth China-Northeast Asia Expo in China and met with CPPCC Vice Chairman and Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee Wang Jiarui. China and Mongolia also maintained close communication and collaboration in international and regional affairs.
Economic cooperation and trade between the two countries developed smoothly. The joint committee on economy, trade, science and technology has held 13 meetings since its establishment in 1989. The China-Mongolia minerals and energy cooperation committee launched in 2009 held its third meeting in January 2013. China has been Mongolia's biggest trading partner and source of investment for many years.
The two countries maintained a sound momentum of people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation. China has established Confucius Institutes and a cultural center in Mongolia. In September, Cultural Minister Cai Wu led a cultural delegation of the Chinese government to Mongolia, during which the two sides signed an MOU on hosting cultural weeks in each other's countries in 2014 by the Ministry of Culture of China and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Mongolia. In September, Jilin province organized a culture week in Mongolia. More than 1.3 million visits were recorded between the two countries in 2013, among which over 1 million were made by Mongolians to China.
Editor: Yaling
