On February 24, 2017, Mongolia and Japan celebrated 45 years of diplomatic relations.<\/b>
Mongolia-Japan\u2019s relations are rich in both history and myth. The two\u00a0countries\u2019 relations can be dated back to the 13th century. The Mongolian empire, under the rule of Kublai Khan, sought to invade\u00a0Japan in 1274 and 1281, only to\u00a0be deterred by storms (known as the \u201cdivine\u00a0wind\u201d in Japan) coupled with malfunctioning boats made by the Song Dynasty war-prisoners. According to the\u00a0history books, Kublai Khan\u2019s message to the Japanese shogun was something along the lines of: \u201cYou are the ruler of a small country; pay us a tribute\u2026 or else.\u201d
Of course, the modern day relationship\u00a0does not involve attempted invasions, divine typhoons, or malfunctioning boats, but rather political\u00a0and diplomatic dialogue, economic relations, and people-to-people affairs. On February 24, 2017, Mongolia and Japan celebrated the 45th\u00a0anniversary of diplomatic relations in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. As Mongolia\u2019s foreign policy apparatus expands both regionally and globally, Japan\u00a0serves as a source of democratic principles and values as well as a political, economic, and social model for Mongolia\u2019s own development.
On February 24, 1972, the People\u2019s Republic of Mongolia and Japan established diplomatic relations. The 1970s were a crucial period in Mongolia\u2019s foreign policy. The Mongolian government under Y. Tsedenbal had far-sighted foreign policy ambitions beyond the Soviet Union;\u00a0thus, the recognition of Mongolia\u2019s sovereignty by other states was fundamental. By establishing diplomatic relations, Mongolia was able to engage with rest of the world politically, economically, diplomatically, and socially. With\u00a0a tremendous effort from Y. Tsedenbal, many of\u00a0Mongolia\u2019s diplomatic relations were established\u00a0under his government, including Japan.
Economic ties were limited at the start. Foreign aid and developmental projects were controlled and restricted\u00a0in socialist Mongolia until the 1990 democratic revolution. Nevertheless, in 1977, even with limited market access, Japan invested in the Gobi Cashmere Factory\u2019s technology, production, and distribution, thus jump-starting the Mongolian cashmere sector.
Since 1991, Japan has been\u00a0financing Mongolia\u2019s transportation, energy, and mining sectors\u00a0with investments such as the Railway Transportation Rehabilitation Project I and II, the Rehabiliatation Project of the 4t h \u00a0Thermal Power Plant in Ulaanbaatar , and th e Baganuur and Shivee-ovoo Coal Mine Development Project. By 2005, Japan had invested $391.07 million in Mongolia\u2019s development.
Throughout the 2000s, the two countries\u2019 relations have strengthened not only financially, but also socially. According to the Embassy of Japan in Mongolia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), Official Development Assistant (ODA), Mongolian-Japanese Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and other educational and cultural organizations have contributed to Mongolia and Japan\u2019s friendly relations.
In terms of cultural interactions, Mongolian sumo wrestlers have made a special contribution. Oka Hiroki, professor of Asian history at the Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, specializing in Mongolian history, wrote , \u201cFor some reason the Mongols always seem to catch the Japanese by surprise. The 13th century Mongol invasion materialized out of thin air, as did the more recent \u2018invasion\u2019 of talented sumo wrestlers from Mongolia.\u201d In 2003, a Mongolian sumo wrestler, D. Davgadorj\u00a0became the 68th\u00a0yokozuna, a member of\u00a0the sport\u2019s highest rank, carrying the honor to Mongolia and strengthening two countries\u2019 cultural relations. Davgadorj was the first Mongolian wrestler in the highest sumo rank, and there were many after him.
In 2010, Mongolia and Japan agreed to build a strategic partnership in their diplomatic goals. The strategic partnership derived from a need to tackle global and regional political and security challenges, such as the rise of China, North Korea\u2019s nuclear threat, maritime security issues in the South China Sea and East China Sea, and economic ambitions. Japan has become an important \u201cthird neighbor\u201d for Mongolia because of\u00a0both economic relations and the significance of both countries in the Asia-Pacific security sphere. Mongolia\u2019s 2011 foreign policy concept specifically highlights the \u201cthird neighbor\u201d policy including relations with Japan, in political, economic, and security fora.
In March, 2013, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe\u2019s visit to Mongolia boosted diplomatic relations in three areas: 1) launching Mongolia-Japan-U. S. trilateralism, 2) implementing the\u00a0Mongolia-Japan economic partnership as medium- and long-term strategic partners, and 3) boosting people-to-people exchange for educational and cultural purposes.
China and Japan compete for Mongolia as a market for imports, exports, and infrastructure and development projects. Japan has\u00a0won several high-profile contracts. In May 2013, Mitsubishi Corporation and Chiyoga Corporations won the contract to build Mongolia\u2019s second international airport at Hushigtiin Hundii, which requires $493 million in investment. On October 22, 2015, Prime Minister Ch. Saikhanbileg\u2019s government signed a Mongolian-Japanese economic agreement\u00a0t hat included pledges to\u00a0develop Tavan Tolgoi mining deposits and railways. This agreement was a big blow to the Chinese mining giant China Shenhua Energy Company, whose own investment agreement was denied by the Mongolian parliament and National Security Council for violating a number of laws and regulations. For Japan, partnering to develop\u00a0Mongolia\u2019s biggest mining deposit and mega-infrastructure was a win-win situation.
Mongolia\u2019s geopolitical position\u00a0gives it a crucial role to play between rival nations in the Asia-Pacific, whether China-Japan, Russia-Japan, or South Korea-North Korea-Japan. Mongolia has used its\u00a0 small country diplomacy \u00a0to mediate over the North Korean nuclear crisis, a position Japan values. On September 27, 2016, the foreign ministers of Mongolia and Japan agreed on condemning North Korea\u2019s actions. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida stated \u00a0at the time, \u201cMongolia is an important regional partner that shares principles values with Japan.\u201d Mongolia can also help mediate in the\u00a0rivalry between Russia and Japan to its longstanding good-neighbor relations with Russia throughout history
While Japan has been one of the financiers of Mongolia\u2019s development, Mongolia also has supported Japan during hardship. In 2012, during the Fukushima crisis, the Mongolian government donated $1 million and rescue supplies to Miyagi and Ivate prefectures for reconstruction. On the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, both the Mongolian and Japanese governments hope to make progress on previously signed agreements and commitments. In the upcoming years, two governments will work\u00a0on the 2017-2021 action plan \u00a0to further strengthen bilateral ties on economy and security.<\/p>\n