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Source: The Economist Date: 12 October, 2011
Mongolia is locked in a “sandwich” between Russia and China; a relationship that it must strategically manage. Two decades since Mongolia's independence from Russia, the former is enjoying full sovereignty and spectacular growth. However, although China is its biggest market, Mongolia is hesitant to put itself too dependent on its southern neighbor, and has reason to be cautious of Russia.
“[Mongolia] is the buffer and the filling that makes this sandwich juicy,” said State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry D. Tsogtbaatar.
Despite deep economic ties, Mongolia's relationship with China is a tenuous one. Under the ethnic-Manchu Qing dynasty, which fell in 1911, China ruled Mongolia cruelly. Additionally, Mongolia is wary about putting too much dependence on China because of the economic and political ramifications of doing so. It is common that the average Mongolian, in addition to wealthy affluent citizens, feels a certain level of disdain towards Chinese immigrants. Violence towards those immigrant workers is not uncommon either. However, Mongolia sends 80 percent of its exports to China, and trade will continue as long as China needs materials to fuel its urban growth.
The story is different with Russia because Mongolia gives it credit for defending against Chinese occupation of Mongolia. However, Russia has played its own political games, which led to an oil shortage last summer.
In addition to the two aforementioned neighbors, Mongolia is pursuing additional neighborly relations with countries that may not be actually be adjacent to the country for its “third neighbor” policy. The foreign policy strategy aims to develop relations with the rest of the world. Mongolia is a strong Western ally that has contributed troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan. South Korea and the United States both have more Mongolian expatriates living in their countries than either Russia or China as well.
Mongolia may still be short of neighbors, but the whole world wants to be its friend.
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