Xi urges Russia, Mongolia to block ‘external interference’, forge deeper economic ties
Chinese leader calls for ‘hard connectivity’ among the three neighbours, aligning infrastructure and energy development strategies
China and Russia have boosted economic and security ties as both face growing geopolitical pressure from the West. But Mongolia – a de facto buffer zone between the two nuclear giants during the Cold War – has seemingly placed greater emphasis on its “third neighbour” foreign policy.
By that approach, the landlocked country has worked to develop partnerships with the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union to diversify its diplomacy, trade and security relations beyond Beijing and Moscow.
As the US-China strategic rivalry continues to intensify over trade and technology, with rare earths – critical to semiconductor and clean energy sectors – now a key bargaining chip, Mongolia’s vast mineral wealth has elevated its strategic significance in the global political landscape.