Kathmandu— Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on Monday to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic mutual trust between China and Mongolia during a meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders discussed fostering growth areas for cooperation and advancing along their respective paths of modernization.

Bilateral Relations

Xi emphasized that China will continue to prioritize its relationship with Mongolia within its neighborhood diplomacy, highlighting the importance of peaceful coexistence, mutual support, and solidarity. He noted that both countries are connected by mountains and rivers, making them close neighbors. Xi stressed the need for consolidating political foundations, respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, core interests, and major concerns.

Economic Cooperation

Xi expressed China’s readiness to strengthen alignment of development strategies with Mongolia, promoting traditional cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and mineral resources. He also called for exploring new areas such as green minerals, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. Xi urged Mongolia to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises operating within its borders.

Multilateral Coordination

Both leaders agreed on strengthening coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs and jointly addressing global challenges. Khurelsukh emphasized that deepening friendly cooperation with China is a top priority for Mongolia’s foreign policy, underscoring the importance of consolidating political mutual trust and enhancing cooperation across various sectors including trade, investment, industry, agriculture, mining, and the green economy.

The meeting concluded with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to advancing bilateral relations and working together on global initiatives proposed by Xi Jinping.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.