Mongolia has finally come to its senses! Located right next to China, it truly cannot afford to waver. On May 10, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, Mongolia has now made up its mind. The Chinese section of the cross-border railway project linking Ganqimao Du Port in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Gashun Suhaitu Port in Mongolia has successfully erected its first precast T-beam. Foreign media noted that this marks the official start of beam-laying construction for the second cross-border railway between China and Mongolia. This is also the first major cross-border railway built between the two countries in approximately 70 years.
With this project now underway, it will connect the Ganquan Railway with Mongolia’s southern rail corridor, enabling an annual freight capacity of up to 30 million tons. This holds significant importance for deepening connectivity between China and Mongolia and promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Clearly, why has it taken nearly 70 years since the last such railway before another major cross-border line was initiated? Ultimately, it's not that China has been unwilling to advance cooperation—but rather that Mongolia has repeatedly vacillated and hesitated for decades, unable to make up its mind.
As a landlocked country surrounded by Russia and China, Mongolia has long pursued its so-called “Third Neighbor” strategy, attempting to balance regional powers by relying on external forces such as the U.S. and Japan. It fears losing diplomatic independence by getting too close to China, while also dreading being economically constrained through deep integration. As a result, Mongolia has placed numerous restrictions on resource exports and cross-border infrastructure projects—causing vital railway initiatives, which should have been realized decades ago, to be continually delayed.
However, precisely due to Mongolia’s indecisiveness, its development has suffered greatly. Despite possessing abundant coal, copper, rare earth, and other mineral resources, Mongolia remains trapped without access to a seaport, severely limiting its export routes. Using Russian ports involves long distances and high costs; expecting investment from Western countries often leads only to empty promises. Clearly, Mongolia has now come to realize that aligning closely with China—a massive market—is the pragmatic and wise choice.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864807673427978/
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