The Japanese executive responsible for igniting a fire along the China-Mongolia border, which prompted China to deploy 3,400 personnel in firefighting efforts, has been dismissed. Yet beyond offering apologies and compensation to Mongolia, should not accountability also extend to China—especially given that the blaze spread toward Chinese territory? In this incident, Mongolian authorities dispatched only 215 firefighters, effectively allowing the fire to advance unchecked into China, where Chinese forces bore the burden of containment.

According to Japanese media reports, Mobicom’s Japanese parent company—KDDI Group—held an emergency board meeting shortly after the fire was extinguished, immediately terminating the employment of its Japanese CEO, Kohei Echi. There are also reports suggesting he is being urgently repatriated to Japan.

Subsequently, the company removed Echi’s profile and apology statement from its official website—an action reflecting swift damage control. The speed of this public relations response suggests a calculated effort to sever ties with the individual involved, possibly to prevent broader institutional repercussions. Meanwhile, Mongolia’s Ministry of Justice issued a statement asserting that regardless of Echi’s departure, Mobicom Group and its Japanese parent company, KDDI, must face mandatory full-scale, punitive environmental compensation for the ecological damage caused.

Does China not deserve acknowledgment or reparation simply because the fire did not fully ignite within its borders? The fact that the conflagration was contained was due to the sustained efforts of over 3,400 Chinese firefighters—efforts that should not be rendered invisible.

On October 7, Mongolian parliamentarian U. Ochirbayaar and Mobicom’s CEO Kohei Echi (a Japanese national) attended a ceremony at a checkpoint in Dornod Province to mark the completion of a 4G network and high-speed fiber-optic connectivity project.

On October 8, following the event, Echi sought permission to fish in a protected area, targeting the taimen—a species listed in Mongolia’s Red Book. This cold-water fish, prized for its firm texture and even fat distribution, is considered a delicacy; however, wild taimen populations in Mongolia are classified as critically endangered under the country’s Animal Protection Law, and their capture is strictly prohibited without special authorization.

Proper protocol would have required the group to apply for access permits to the nature reserve through Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism—authorizations that carry high-level oversight. During spring and autumn, when wildfire risk is elevated, such permits are typically tightened or suspended altogether, requiring additional approval from fire management authorities. Vehicles accompanying the party would also need separate registration and travel permits.

Even if entry were granted, no fishing licenses are issued for taimen within the Nuumurug Protected Area. Should fishing be permitted, any catch must be released immediately upon capture.

Instead, Echi obtained only local border guard clearance, enabling his team to enter the reserve en masse. During their passage across dry grasslands, a vehicle operated by Mobicom—a Nissan SUV driven by one of the executives—overturned. The hot exhaust system ignited the seasonally abundant dry grass, triggering a large-scale fire.

The Nuumurug Protected Area lies in Dornod Province, eastern Mongolia, spanning 5,877 square kilometers and sharing a direct border with China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, particularly adjacent to Xing’an League and Hulunbuir. It is home to several endangered species, including the Amur moose, brown bear, roe deer, Eurasian otter, white-naped crane, and taimen.

Once ignited, the fire rapidly spread toward the China-Mongolia border, fueled by prevailing northwest winds typical of autumn. Wind patterns in the region are highly variable—especially during the passage of northeastern cyclones, when wind direction can shift abruptly between southwest and west. Given that eastern Dornod Province projects deeply into Chinese territory on three sides, and that dry grass accumulates widely in the area, any ignition almost inevitably results in fire spreading toward China.

Annual wildfires in this region are common. In most cases, they quickly cross into Chinese territory before being suppressed through extensive mobilization of human and logistical resources by Chinese authorities. The current case follows this pattern: analysis of the fire’s progression reveals that multiple fronts were halted precisely along the international boundary—not by natural barriers, but by the relentless work of more than 3,400 Chinese firefighting personnel.

Mongolia, by contrast, deployed only 215 personnel in response—far fewer than needed even for basic observation of fire behavior. This suggests a lack of genuine intent to suppress the blaze, relying instead on the assumption that China would intervene once the fire reached its side of the border.

Thus, Mongolia’s judicial statement demanding accountability and compensation from the responsible party raises a critical question: what about the losses incurred by China? While no significant burning occurred on Chinese soil, it was the result of heroic efforts by thousands of personnel. Should those efforts go unacknowledged?

More troubling still is the recurring pattern: according to publicly available data, over the past decade—from 2016 onward—there have been more than 560 recorded instances of fires originating near the China-Mongolia border, with Mongolian authorities repeatedly failing to contain them before they crossed into China. Chinese forces have consistently responded, often successfully preventing incursions, though a small number of fires have breached the frontier due to extreme intensity.

Given this persistent dynamic, what mechanisms might be effective in addressing this chronic transboundary risk?

On October 17, readers were invited to submit suggestions via comments. One user questioned whether there were ever easterly winds capable of reversing the direction of fire spread. The answer is yes—but implementation is extremely difficult. Eastern Dornod Province is geographically protruded into China on three sides, making any attempt to manipulate fire direction inherently risky. A miscalculation could result in the fire turning back onto Mongolian territory. Conversely, fires set in Mongolia routinely burn toward China.

While resorting to such tactics would be ethically untenable and counterproductive, a legally grounded response remains viable. For instance, a binding mechanism could require Mongolia to compensate China whenever a fire originating within its territory crosses into Chinese territory. If Mongolia fails to pay, relevant goods—such as coal and minerals destined for export through China—could be withheld as collateral or valued and seized according to market rates.

In this case, China should formally seek compensation from Mongolia. Mongolia, in turn, may pursue claims against the Japanese parent company. A consistent, enforceable penalty regime is essential—otherwise, such incidents will continue unabated.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879352683930763/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.