Caught Between China and Russia, Mongolia Seeks Closer U.S. Ties
BEIJING—Sparsely populated and sandwiched between two authoritarian powers, Mongolia is positioning itself as a resource-rich, democratic partner for the U.S. in Asia amid growing competition between Washington and Beijing over the minerals needed to pursue cleaner energy. That push will be at the heart of a visit by Mongolia’s prime minister to Washington this week, as his country attempts to draw itself closer to the West in a bid to diversify its economy without angering its powerful neighbors Russia and China.
“The visit will be crucial in delivering a different understanding for the U.S. side about our democracy," Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai said, speaking through an interpreter in an interview ahead of his visit. During the visit that begins Wednesday, Oyun-Erdene is expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
He is also slated to visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Mongolia’s rich mineral reserves as well as its unique geographic positioning are winning it increasing attention on the global stage. The Washington visit is the latest of several high-profile engagements by Oyun-Erdene, who welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Mongolia in May and sat down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in June.
Mongolia was long a Communist country closely tied to the Soviet Union. Since transforming into a democracy in 1990, it has kept close links to both Russia and China, and relies on them for imports of electricity, fuel and many other goods. Most of Mongolia’s mining production, including significant volumes of copper ore and coal, is sold to the Chinese market.
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