A new highway linking China and
Mongolia is expected to be jointly built by the two countries with a total investment
of USD375 million. It will be 245 kilometers long, running from Mongolia”s
southwest Omnogovi Province to Ganqimaodu, a border town in China”s Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Two firms from China and Mongolia
plan to be the main builders in a joint venture, the Mongolia firm owning 51
percent. Construction is scheduled to be completed in two years. The project
plan has been submitted to the authorities of the two countries.

The new highway is expected to
improve coal transportation and promote economic development in China and
Mongolia. Trade between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the neighboring
Mongolia reached USD5.3 billion, jumping 33 percent year on year over the first
eight months of this year. As of September 22, around 5.2 million tons of coal
had been to China through Ganqimaodu.