On August 17, 2022, the WeChat public account of the National Development and Reform Commission reported that recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport Development of Mongolia have implemented the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the joint statement of the two governments on accelerating the progress of the agreed projects. To meet the requirements for the construction of the railway port, through friendly negotiation, a memorandum of understanding on confirming the cross-border railway integration plan of the Ganqimaodu-Gashusu Haitu port was signed. The signing of the memorandum is conducive to accelerating the integration of the southern Mongolian railway and the Chinese railway, and has a positive effect on improving the level of infrastructure connectivity between China and Mongolia and deepening practical cooperation in industry and investment.

Mongolia has a vast territory and is the second largest landlocked country in the world, with a very long land border with China. In the past, trade between China and Mongolia was mostly transported by truck and road, but the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has blocked economic and trade exchanges between countries, and China-Mongolia trade is also facing severe tests.

In order to reverse this unfavorable situation and promote the orderly and normal development of bilateral trade between China and Mongolia. In February 2022, when Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun Erden visited China, the two countries finalized the China-Mongolia border crossings for three major railway projects that connect the mineral-rich Gobi region of China and Mongolia. Among them, the Zongbayan-Hangji railway has a total length of 226 kilometers. Construction has started in March, with a transportation capacity of 20 million tons. The total length of the Tawen Tolgoi-Zongbayan railway is 416.1 kilometers, which can increase the transportation capacity of 15 million tons on the original basis. , to be completed before October; Tawen Tolgoi-Gashusu Haitu Railway, with a transportation capacity of 30 million tons.

It is understood that these three railway projects will bring great convenience to the transportation of bulk commodities in Mongolia, improve the overall freight capacity, improve the backwardness of infrastructure, and reduce the cost of human and material resources. It can be described as a "win-win" for both countries. After the project is completed, it is expected that the trade between China and Mongolia will increase to US$20 billion by 2029.

It is worth noting that the construction of these three railways, together with the first Sino-Russian cross-border railway, will effectively increase the transportation capacity of Mongolian and Russian mineral resources to China, and increase the anti-risk index of China's imported energy. The China-Russia cross-border railway is also about to be completed. This channel will effectively connect the three countries of China, Mongolia and Russia to form a mutually beneficial and win-win situation. Editor / Xu Shengpeng