Xi's Mongolia visit and neighborhood diplomacy

Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to Mongolia demonstrates the kind of diplomacy Xi advocates: treat neighbors as friends, make them feel safe, help them. [Special coverage]

On the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Xi is making his first visit to Mongolia as head of state.

With over 4,700 km of frontier with Mongolia, China's longest land border, relations experienced twists and turns in the 1960s due to deteriorating Sino-Soviet Union relations, but things have been improving fast since the 1990s.

The Chinese people believe that "the more frequent relatives visit each other, the closer they will become." The epigram could apply to China-Mongolian relations. Besides frequent visits between high-level officials, about 1.3 million people traveled between the two countries last year and the figure is expected to grow sharply.

China and Mongolia are strategically significant to each other, both in economic and geopolitical terms. China respects Mongolia's independence and integrity of sovereignty and territory. It is China's sincere wish that the two countries develop peacefully together based on mutual support to each other's core interests. The best way to promote the partnership is through common and equal development.

Until today, bridges and shopping centers built with the help of China are still playing an important role in Mongolia's economy and China hopes to provide more assistance to its partner's future development.

Mongolia is endowed with natural resources and its economy is developing at a two-digit growth rate, while China boasts high technologies and a vast market.

The complementary economic structure indicates huge opportunity for cooperation which will never be a zero-sum game. The priority is to translate opportunities for cooperation such as railways, mining, environmental protection, farming and agriculture into concrete results.

The two countries are also planning activities to enhance cultural exchanges this year and there are opportunities to promote cooperation in media, tourism and language learning.

More significantly, Mongolia is important to the "Silk Road economic belt" that China is pushing forward to boost the connectivity in the region which could involve China, European countries and dozens of central and west Asian countries. The two countries could not only create an amicable environment for their own development but also contribute to regional peace, security and development.

In a diplomatic work conference held in October last year, Xi described the principles of China's neighbor diplomacy as amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.

It is highly expected these ideas will be the cornerstones of Xi's visit.