The Friendship and Threats

While being sandwiched between China and Russia, Mongolia has been trying to build relations with its third neighbors the US, South Korea, Japan and European countries to balance the influence of its physical neighbors China and Russia. The heart of Mongolia's third neighbor foreign policy is to ensure relations with its two neighbors while encouraging other countries that are developed and wealthy to take interest in Mongolia's development.

Why Mongolia? Why third neighbor? Why Threats?

A glance in Tranquility wins...!

Mongolia

Landlocked Mongolia is located between Russia to the north and China to the south, deep within the interior of eastern Asia far from any ocean. The country has a marked continental climate, with long cold winters and short cool-to-hot summers. Its remarkable variety of scenery consists largely of upland steppes, semideserts, and deserts, although in the west and north forested high mountain ranges alternate with lake-dotted basins. Mongol leader Genghis Khan (1162-1227) rose from humble beginnings to establish the largest land empire in history.

The Mongol History with Genghis Khan

Before Genghis Khan became the leader of Mongolia, he was known as Temujin. He was born around 1162 in modern-day northern Mongolia into a nomadic tribe with noble ties and powerful alliances. These fortunate circumstances helped him unite dozens of tribes in his adulthood via alliances. War ensued, and Temujin prevailed, destroying all the remaining rival tribes from 1203–1205 and bringing them under his sway. In 1206, Temujin was crowned as the leader of the Great Mongol Nation. It was then that he assumed the title of Genghis Khan, meaning universal leader, marking the start of the Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan ruled between 1206 and 1227, expanding trade across Asia and into eastern Europe, enacting relatively tolerant social and religious laws, and leading devastating military campaigns that left local populations depleted and fearful of the brutal Mongol forces. He also utilized a lenient policy toward religious and local traditions, which convinced many people to follow his lead with promises of amnesty and neutrality.

The Handshakes

Battulga,The President is largely seen as a pro-Russian politician due to his Russian ties and his knowledge of the Russian language. He is commonly compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin due to their shared love and experience in judo. Today its economy is so dependent on China that it risks becoming a client state once again. But also China-Mongolia cooperation on COVID-19 shows deep friendship. It depends upon the China's expansion and threats in coming days.

The Third

It would be hard to find a country that has more at stake in the outcome of U.S. China strategic competition than Mongolia or that better demonstrates why that competition is not a lost cause. With only some 3 million citizens occupying a large territory rich in natural resources sharing a long land border with under-resourced China’s population of 1.4 billion, Mongolia’s security situation is “intense,” in the words of the commander of its armed forces. But Mongolians will not bend to Chinese domination. 

The Visit

Ironically when one thinks of Mongolia the utter winter, cold climate, distance and exotic nature claim the mind space. But this is one country where India and the Indians are simply loved. Perhaps, due to the Buddhist connection and Himalayan heritage of the Mongolian people. India and Mongolia embarked on a journey of ever enhancing cooperation and becoming strategic partners during 2015 visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had announced a one billion dollar line of credit for the development of infrastructure in Mongolia and so on. The two countries along with Bhutan had moved UN for the recognition of Bangladesh and hence the political synergy is quite clearly evident and can be further built upon for the mutual benefit. 

The New Education Curriculum of China

Ethnic Mongolian students and parents in northern China have staged mass school boycotts over a new curriculum that would scale back education in their mother tongue, in a rare and highly visible protest against the ruling Communist Party's intensified push for ethnic assimilation. Under the new policy, Mandarin Chinese will replace Mongolian as the medium of instruction for three subjects in elementary and middle schools for minority groups across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.  The start is in the own country of China but it may lead to Mongolia with cultural bond of Autonomous region of China and Mongolia. But the threat of friendship, Mongols have already learnt from their historical leader how to deal it.

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