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Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, meets with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on June 13. / Capture from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

According to Beijing diplomatic sources on June 14, Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh met with Wang Yi—a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission—in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the previous day, stating that "friendship with China remains the most paramount tenet of Mongolia's foreign policy."

"Mongolia understands and respects China's positions and core interests. We firmly adhere to the 'One China' principle," Khurelsukh emphasized. "We regard Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory and do not support any form of 'Taiwan independence' activities."

He further noted, "Matters concerning Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang are entirely China's internal affairs. Mongolia will not engage in any actions that harm Chinese interests for the sake of its relations with other nations."

President Khurelsukh also added, "Our two nations have always respected each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," predicting that "as mutually beneficial cooperation continues to deepen, bilateral trade volume is expected to reach 20 billion dollars this year."

Mongolia is situated north of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, sharing China's longest land border, which spans 4,710 kilometers.

Foreign Minister Wang arrived in Mongolia on June 13 for a three-day visit, after accompanying General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during his official visit to North Korea on June 8 and 9. During his meeting with President Khurelsukh, Wang responded, "China has always placed the development of bilateral relations in a prominent position within its neighborhood diplomacy. China has both the willingness and the capability to be a reliable neighbor, a trusted friend, and a partner that accelerates Mongolia's development."

Wang continued, "China respects Mongolia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. China highly appreciates Mongolia's choice to make developing relations with China the most vital directive of its diplomacy, which completely aligns with Mongolia's fundamental interests."

                                                                                                           Hong Soon-do