Mongolia PM: Mongolia actively participates in implementing projects with China and Russia

In the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the railway from Ganqimudu in China to Gashuusuhatu in Mongolia, Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene said that the Mongolian government will actively participate in mutually beneficial trilateral projects on railways and gas pipelines with China and Russia.

It is reported that this railway is the second cross-border railway between China and Mongolia built after nearly 70 years since the Dzungarian Gate-Zamin Uud Railway was completed in 1956. It is jointly promoted by China and Mongolia, exiting from the Ganqimudu Port in Bayannur City of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, passing through the Gashuusuhatu Port in Mongolia, connecting to the Gashuusuhatu Station in the South Gobi Province of Mongolia, with a total length of 9.91 kilometers. The railway sections within both countries will be constructed separately, while the cross-border section will be connected by a bridge of 6.08 kilometers. The entire railway is planned to be completed and put into operation by 2027.

Oyun-Erdene said: "The intergovernmental agreement on the cross-border railway connection between Gashuusuhatu-Ganqimudu Port was signed on February 14, 2025. Three months later today, May 14, this railway will officially start construction, which is the first project among Mongolia's 14 large-scale projects. Mongolia will actively participate in mutually beneficial agreements signed with China and Russia on implementing trilateral projects for railway and gas pipeline construction."

Oyun-Erdene added that Mongolia will consistently implement its long-term development policy of the "Vision 2050", which is based on the economic development plans of Mongolia's two geographical neighbors - Russia and China.

Oyun-Erdene also mentioned the reasons why this railway project has been delayed for 18 years. He said: "The disputes over the ownership of the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine and the rail gauge controversy were caused by the narrow interests of international participants in the domestic and foreign coal markets. They believed that not building this railway would benefit them."

Coal is Mongolia's main export commodity, produced in the Tavan Tolgoi area of the South Gobi Province, bordering China. In the 1950s, Soviet geologists discovered one of the largest high-quality coking coal deposits here. Since the 1990s, it has been mined by private companies.

In 2008, the Mongolian government nationalized these deposits and established the company "Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi". In 2012, part of its shares were distributed as a share of natural resources to all citizens free of charge. Until 2024, there was no railway from the state-owned mines to the nearest border port, Gashuusuhatu.

Mongolia's rail gauge differs from China's but is the same as Russia's at 1,520 millimeters. Therefore, coal is transported to the Ganqimudu Port in China via trucks. This not only causes frequent accidents and traffic congestion at the border but also poses the risk of coal theft.

It is reported that the China-Ganqimudu to Mongolia-Gashuusuhatu railway will transport imported coking coal from Mongolia into China, dispatched from the Ganqimudu Station to various parts of the country, with an annual transportation capacity of 30 million tons. After completion, the annual通关capacity of the Ganqimudu border port is expected to double, effectively driving the upgrading of cross-border logistics, industrial parks, border services, and other industries between China and Mongolia.

Source: sputniknews

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832081729016970/

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