By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, JAN. 26: The Chinese government on Tuesday said they hoped Mongolia has learned its lesson following the setback in relations between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar after the latter welcomed the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to the country two months ago.
“We hope that Mongolia has taken this lesson to heart. The Dalai Lama’s furtive visit to Mongolia brought a negative impact to China-Mongolia relations,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was reported to have told Mongolia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsend Munkh-Orgil through a telephonic conversation
The statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website also highlighted that Mongolia which recognizes the ‘One China’ policy, “scrupulously abide by its promise” when it comes to not inviting the Tibetan leader to the country where he is revered as a Buddhist leader.
After the visit by the Dalai Lama to Ulaanbaatar in November, China imposed import tariffs on Mongolia bound transports moving through Inner-Mongolia. Many likened the incident as China ‘twisting the arms’ of a small nation like Mongolia which hosted the Dalai Lama. China also cancelled a bilateral meeting with Mongolia.
Mongolian Foreign Minister later denied any government part in the visit by the Tibetan leader saying, “Mongolia firmly supports the one China policy, consistently holds that Tibet is an in separable part of China, that the Tibet issue is China’s internal affair.”
Mongolia’s economy described as passing through “deep recession” is reliant on its neighbor for economic support in return for leverage such as making the Ulaanbaatar government to kow-tow to its directions.
