Commodities fair to strengthen China-Mongolia ties

An exposition featuring commodities from Mongolia is set to open in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Baotou Daily reported on April 20.

The four-day exposition, themed around innovation, mutual trust and cooperation, will run from April 21.

The expo will have eight units, including a project promotion conference to start on April 20, ahead of the expo. More than 110 businesses from China and Mongolia will attend the promotion conference.

The conference is expected to witness the signing of 14 projects, covering a wide range of areas including e-commerce, cross-border tourism and the purchase of thermal coal.

Some 62 Mongolian businesses and 50 domestic businesses have confirmed they will attend the expo, bringing commodities such as clothes, organic food, cashmere and folk handicrafts.

Mongolian representatives, including parliamentarians and provincial governors, will be present at the expo.

To attract more people to the expo, a series of Mongolia-featured activities will be organized including food samplings, painting and photography exhibitions.

Baotou, the largest city in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is not only part of the economic heartland of the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos city cluster, but also it has Mongolia to its north, meaning it enjoys an advantageous geographic position.

Baotou has formed partnerships with Mongolia in various areas over the past few years as part of the implementation of national strategies for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor. The city launched a direct flight to Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, on Aug 3, 2016, the first international flight out of Baotou city.