Mongolia and China share a land border totaling 4,710 km, along which the two countries have opened 14 border ports for trade. Despite convenient geographical conditions, infrastructure connecting the two countries remains weak, which limits the value of trade, Huang said.

Huge potential exists for China and Mongolia to strengthen their economic and trade ties if they are able to improve the trade and investment structure. Particularly, China can help Mongolia upgrade its industries and build infrastructure including railways, roads and electricity networks, Huang added.

Cooperative neighbors

Since last decade, China has been making efforts to build good neighborly relations with surrounding countries. China's new leadership also vows to carry on the friendly foreign policy to enhance mutual trust with its neighbors. Xi's visit will further advance the comprehensive cooperation with Mongolia and improve China's geopolitical environment.

Hao Shiyuan from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told Xinhua News Agency that Mongolia is an important strategic region for China. Steady China-Mongolia relations are helpful for eliminating some unstable factors affecting regional security in northeast Asia.

Mongolia's only two neighbors are China and Russia. Nevertheless, the United States and Japan have also sought to draw Mongolia to their sides in recent years, mostly for strategic purposes.

In particular, the United States has enhanced military cooperation with Mongolia through some military drills in recent years since announcing its so-called "pivot to Asia" strategy. For example, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel paid a visit to Mongolia in April and agreed to offer more aid and support to the country's military buildup.

Japan also reached consensus with Mongolia to strengthen bilateral economic ties during the Mongolian president's visit to Japan in July.

However, Mongolia is shifting its diplomatic attention back to China and Russia—the two mighty powers that are its neighbors. Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to pay a state visit to Mongolia two weeks after President Xi, as well.

For China and Mongolia, there are no disputes on historic issues or territories. As such, the two countries have one less barrier standing in the way of their further cooperation, Huang said.

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Diplomatic Timeline

1949: Diplomatic relations are established;

1960: The Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance is signed, which went into effect on October 12 that year;

1962: The border treaty is signed, laying a solid foundation for lasting peace;

1994: The Treaty on Friendly Relations and Cooperation is signed;

1998: Then Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy pays a state visit to China;

2003: Then Chinese President Hu Jintao pays a state visit to Mongolia;

2010: Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj pays a state visit to China and attends the opening ceremony of the World Expo in Shanghai;

2011: Then Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaataryn Batbold pays an official visit to China, during which the two countries agreed to upgrade bilateral ties from a good-neighbor partnership of mutual trust to a strategic partnership;

2013: Mongolian Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag pays an official visit to China, during which the two sides signed the Medium- and Long-term Development Plan for the Strategic Partnership;

2014: President Xi Jinping pays a state visit to Mongolia. The two sides upgraded bilateral ties to comprehensive strategic partnership.

(Compiled by Beijing Review)