Today (5 December), an increasingly angry demonstration has entered its second day in Ulaanbaatar, capital city of Mongolia after large amount of coal revenue was stolen. According to unofficial sources, some 6.5 million tonnes of coal worth of MNT 40 trillion were stolen.

Justice Minister Kh.Nyambaatar told news.mn on Monday that Mongolian Government has requested Beijing through diplomatic line to cooperate with Prosecutorial Agency In the Republic of China investigating the coal theft case.

Considering one truck transports approximately 90-100 tons of coal or produces more than 10 million tons of coal in a year, Mongolian officials have begun comparing the Chinese customs information of registrations of cars that entered and exited the country, with our customs data. 

Mongolia sends 86 percent of its exports to China, with coal accounting for more than half of that total. Mongolia is keen to chip in, shipping 19 million metric tons of coal to China so far this year, according to the National Statistical Office, already exceeding 2021’s 16 million total. The value of Mongolia’s coal exports jumped to $4.5 billion in the first nine months of 2022, almost triple what they were over the same period last year.