Prime Minister S.Batbold and
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao signed a strategic partnership deal in Beijing on Thursday
while Beijing agreed to provide a USD500-million loan to Mongolia. They signed
the partnership agreement and oversaw the signing of eight other deals on
economic and technology cooperation, vehicle trade and other areas.

Mongolia has been looking to
sell its minerals and Batbold welcomed foreign investment in his landlocked
country”s resources and real estate sectors. He said Mongolia would try to
provide a fairer and more transparent environment for foreign investors, who
have been falling over each other to get a stake in Mongolia”s coal, copper and
iron sectors.

He also said Mongolia and
China should pay more attention to their bilateral trade structure, noting
Mongolia”s exports to China mainly consist of heavy raw materials, which is bad
for the environment. He also said Mongolian companies had started to invest in
China, and hoped Beijing would support these firms.