"Battle for Mongolia's soul
"On the 800th anniversary of his empire's birth, China and Mongolia both claim Genghis Khan as their own"
The Economist, Dec 19th 2006
"The Mongolian government has already suffered the downsides of economic nationalism. By law, all gold output is supposed to be sold to the Bank of Mongolia, the central bank. This year the amount sold has fallen by half even though production has continued to rise, says the central bank's former governor, Ochirbat Chuluunbat. He blames a windfall tax that has encouraged small producers to sell gold on the black market rather than to the bank. Most black-market gold is smuggled across the 4,677km border with China...
"For all Mongolia's nationalism, the government remains acutely aware of the dangers of upsetting its powerful southern neighbour. Officials studiously avoid criticism of China, which provides vital port facilities for Mongolia's exports...
"In order to avoid falling under the sway of either Russia or, particularly, China, Mongolia pursues what it calls a 'third neighbour' policy. This involves remaining on good terms with its giant neighbours but also reaching out to countries such as America and Japan (Mongolia's biggest aid donor). America has been delighted by Mongolia's support for its military operations in Iraq, including the dispatch of some 200 support troops. This is the first time Mongolian troops have been stationed in Iraq since Genghis's grandson, Hulagu, conquered Baghdad...
"A Mongolian general, given warning by an American counterpart of the dangers of operating in Baghdad, is said to have quipped: 'I know. We've been here before.'"
1 comment:
I hear that liberal democracy has some ears in Mongolia. Sounds as though Mongolia has a power on its borders much like Canada does. However, the difference is that Canadians can get away with criticizing America- 87% of our wealth tied to them notwithstanding. Not that Americans listen or care.
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