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The prime minister of Mongolia simply visited Washington, D.C. – and no different nation in our area is doing that proper now. For Mongolia, it’s enterprise as ordinary, as a result of Mongolia is a functioning democracy and strategic associate to the USA. However this enterprise as ordinary can’t be taken without any consideration.
Mongolia has a reasonably distinctive international coverage known as the Third Neighbor Coverage. Having solely two bodily neighbors, China and Russia, the premise of this coverage is to actively interact with nations past them – chief amongst them the USA.
Predictably, Russia and China have all the time been skeptical of the Third Neighbor Coverage, to say the least. Beneath platitudes corresponding to “friendship” and “everlasting neighbors,” China and Russia have undermined, suppressed, and even tried to sabotage Mongolian international coverage prior to now.
One key issue is that Mongolia, alone among the many Central Asian nations, has demonstrated its dedication to a functioning democratic system. To avoid wasting our democracy, Mongolia has no alternative however to enterprise past our two geographical neighbors.
For its half, the USA has made no secret of the truth that its outreach to Mongolia is strategic. Funding and help to Mongolia is designed to counter Russia and China’s dominance and assist Mongolian sovereignty and safety.
Mongolia and the USA established formal diplomatic relations in 1987; over the previous three a long time, Mongolia has been a dependable diplomatic associate of the USA. Though not extensively identified, Mongolia has been working with the U.S. on strategic points for a very long time now. Mongolia is one among NATO’s 9 “world companions,” together with formal U.S. allies like Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Mongolia additionally actively engages in U.N. peacekeeping missions.
Beginning in 2003, Mongolia contributed near 1,200 troops to Iraq and 6,000 troops in Afghanistan, each U.S.-led wars. Nearly 10,000 Mongolian peacekeepers have additionally served in South Sudan and elsewhere in Africa. For a rustic of solely 3.5 million individuals, this can be a super dedication.
Now’s the time to raise cooperation in any respect ranges. The USA ought to increase main funding and know-how assist that may strengthen the Mongolian economic system. And not using a sizable business and commerce spine, the bilateral relations may yield below strain from Russia and China.
Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai’s go to to Washington was an act of defiance. At a time when no chief of one other Central Asian nation has visited the USA in over 5 years, Mongolia is charting its personal path. Thus Mongolia may function a mannequin for engagement with the USA within the area.
But, in terms of underpinning the bilateral relations with elevated commerce and funding in Mongolia, the U.S. is significantly lagging behind.
Previously decade, Mongolia’s commerce with China reached $85 billion; commerce with Russia quantities to $17 billion. Compared, commerce with the USA was value solely $2.6 billion, over 30 instances lower than China-Mongolia commerce. Even when the U.S. is buying and selling with Mongolia, it’s closely imbalanced. In 2022, for instance, Mongolia imported $375 million value of products from the USA, whereas exported items have been nearly 30 instances lower than imported items – solely $12.7 million.
Understanding the strategic significance of bilateral commerce, 9 members of the U.S. Home of Representatives have launched a commerce invoice that goals to offer an import tariff waiver for Mongolian cashmere. Though the invoice has been reintroduced now thrice, it’s going nowhere – largely bowing to U.S. home sentiment in opposition to free commerce.
When the state of affairs is like this, it’s onerous to inform how lengthy Mongolia may proceed to remain defiant and fulfill its position as a strategic associate of the USA. Democracies operate solely when the individuals desire democracy over authoritarianism. If the residents of authoritarian nations are financially thriving, there’s a danger of Mongolians discovering Russian and Chinese language financial and governance methods extra engaging.
Precisely 20 years in the past, Mongolia began to host a multinational peacekeeping operations train, Khaan Quest. Through the years, it has grow to be an vital platform for the armed forces of varied nations to work collectively and be taught from one another.
On this yr’s Khaan Quest, militaries of 26 nations – together with the U.S., Indian, and Chinese language armies – skilled collectively and befriended one another. U.S. Ambassador Richard Buangan excitedly noted that “militaries from the U.S. and China performed a pleasant recreation of basketball in opposition to an attractive Mongolia backdrop.” This isn’t occurring anyplace else on the earth.
Mongolia is all the time able to lend our “lovely backdrop” to advance world peace and the rules-based worldwide order. However we want the U.S. assist to maintain this backdrop free and democratic.
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