Mongolia, which is sandwiched between Russia and China has
also begun investing in railway construction.

From the capital of Ulan Bator, a day”s drive south over the steppes leads to
Sainshand, the central city of Dornogovi province. On the outskirts of the
city, construction of a new railway line was proceeding on an embankment of
between five to 10 meters.

Far off to the west lies the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, one of the world”s largest
for which companies of various nations are competing to gain development
rights. In the other direction the embankment leads to a town in eastern
Mongolia which is connected to Russia by rail. Plans call for connecting the
Trans Siberian Railway with the huge coal mine in a few years.

Although the coal mine is actually closer to the Chinese border, the strategy
among Mongolian officials is to utilize the Trans Siberian Railway to export
the coal to Russia, Japan and South Korea. While maintaining a delicate balance
between China and Russia, Mongolia is also seeking an exit to the Sea of Japan
for its enormous reserves of natural resources.

Railway engineers in Mongolia also pointed to other geopolitical factors behind
the move. Mongolian officials are wary about Beijing”s motives because China in
2002 cut off rail lines from Mongolia for more than a day because of a visit
from Dalai Lama XIV.

Mr P Gankhuyag governor of Dornogovi province said that the construction of the
new railway line means that in the future Sainshand will serve as an
intersection for transport. We will create jobs for 300,000 people by
constructing a heavy industry complex.”

Source – The Asahi Shimbun