China’s Premier Li Qiang has proposed strengthening trilateral relations with Russia and Mongolia during a meeting with his counterparts on Wednesday, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, according to state media reports.
In recent years, the three nations have deepened their ties. Both China and Mongolia extended warm welcomes to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, just as Moscow had done for China’s President Xi Jinping in 2023 before Beijing later hosted Mongolia’s president.
“China is ready to work with Russia and Mongolia to further enhance mutual trust, strengthen co-ordination and promote deeper trilateral co-operation,” Li, China’s second-ranking official, said, according to the official news agency, Xinhua.
He was speaking with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Mongolia’s Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene.
Although Mongolia is not a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China-led Eurasian security bloc, it has been an observer state since 2004. Despite this, China continues to subtly encourage its smaller neighbour to consider joining the 10-nation group.
The resource-rich, landlocked country is also actively engaging with officials from the United States, which has pledged investments in Mongolia’s mining and heavy industries.
However, Washington expressed criticism over Ulaanbaatar’s decision to host Putin in September, disregarding an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Under the warrant, the 124 member countries of the ICC, including Mongolia, are required to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.
Mongolia also lies along the planned route of a major pipeline that Russia intends to construct, which will transport 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from the Yamal region to China.
In a separate meeting with Mishustin, Li emphasized China’s willingness to strengthen trade and energy ties with Russia, according to Chinese state media.
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