Mongolia relationship valued, president says

China and Mongolia should develop bilateral ties in the right direction from a strategic and long-term perspective, understand and respect each other's core interests and deepen mutual trust, President Xi Jinping said when meeting with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday.

China has always greatly valued its ties with Mongolia and will strengthen exchanges and cooperation and keep pushing for better and faster development of the ties, in line with the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness and according to the policy of forging friendship and partnership with its neighbors, Xi said.

In addition, China respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mongolia as well as the path of development that the Mongolian people choose for themselves, he said at the meeting on the sidelines of the fourth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia.

Xi urged the two countries to continue to align the Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia's Development Road program, and actively support their border areas in expanding exchanges and cooperation.

China welcomes Mongolia aboard the express train of China's development and to share the fruits of its reform and opening-up, Xi said, adding that China supports Mongolia in developing its animal husbandry and the processing sectors, and hopes to import more quality agricultural products from Mongolia.

Also, the two countries should enhance people-to-people exchanges, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, and work together to promote regional cooperation, Xi said.

Battulga said it's a firm policy for Mongolia to develop stable and friendly ties as well as mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and that Mongolia adheres to the one-China principle, and acknowledges that Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang are inalienable parts of China's territory.

Mongolia hopes to actively take part in construction of the Belt and Road, and strengthen cooperation with China in areas including trade, electric power, agriculture and infrastructure construction, Battulga said.

Mongolia also hopes to promote the construction of an economic corridor linking it with China and Russia to promote common development of countries in the region, he added.