Premier Li says China willing to deepen cooperation with Mongolia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said China is willing to work with Mongolia to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation during his meeting with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene on Friday afternoon.

Oyun-Erdene is in Harbin to attend the closing ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Noting China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, Li said close cooperation and joint development are in the common interests of both countries.

China is willing to work with Mongolia to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, firmly grasp the right direction of the development of China-Mongolia relations, consolidate political mutual trust, carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples, Li said.

The Chinese premier further said that China is willing to strengthen the synergy of development strategies and policy coordination with Mongolia, maintain the positive momentum of bilateral cooperation, strengthen cooperation in traditional areas such as mineral energy, connectivity and infrastructure, expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and green development, and strive to achieve more practical results.

Li added that both sides should deepen cooperation in culture, education, tourism and other people-to-people and cultural fields, support youth exchanges, and consolidate public support for good friendship between the two countries.

China is ready to work with Mongolia and other Asian countries to uphold the common values of peace, unity and cooperation, closely coordinate and cooperate with each other, practice true multilateralism, jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and development, and better safeguard common interests, Li said.

Oyun-Erdene also said during the meeting that Mongolia and China are eternal neighbors and the two countries have always respected and lived in friendship with each other.

The Mongolian prime minister congratulated China on its successful hosting of the 9th Asian Winter Games, believing that it will help further promote Asian values and elevate the voice of Asia.

Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and looks forward to working with China to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance the alignment of Mongolia's development strategies with China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, deepen practical cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, connectivity, energy, resources and infrastructure, and push bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level, Oyun-Erdene said. 

(Cover: National flags of China and Mongolia. /VCG)