The construction of a railway at Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod – the port handles more than 50 percent of Mongolia’s copper and coking coal exports was one of key issues at talks between Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting was held on 7 February when L.Oyun-Erdene attended the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod border crossing has been a contentious topic for Mongolian policymakers for years. Although different parties and ministries have agreed on the economic importance of the railroad, they disagreed on many important technical aspects such as the railroad gauge, allocation of investment, and the environmental and geological impacts that come with such a significant megaproject. The financial question was one of the major hurdles as well. The China-proposed railroad project is more costly than what the Mongolians envisioned.

This means Mongolian coals will be transferred to the Chinese trains in Gantsmod.