On October 22， a ceremony was held to hand over the first 4，000 of the 30，000 sheep gifted by Mongolia to China at the border region of Zamiin-UudErlian. They entered China eight months after Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga announced the measure to help China fight the novel coronavirus disease （COVID-19） epidemic during his visit to Beijing in February. Following the visit， the two countries agreed to have the delivery after the epidemic receded and the sheep gained weight in autumn.
　　During the ceremony， Tumen Tegshjargal， Foreign Policy Advisor to the Mongolian President， said， “It is an event that expresses the warmth of the Mongolian people to the Chinese people and brings a positive atmosphere to the relations between the two peoples.”
　　Chai Wenrui， Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia， responded， saying “Chinese people will not forget this friendship of the Mongolian people. China and Mongolia have a long history of friendly neighbors linked by waters and mountains. The fact that we have understood and helped each other in our fight against the disease reflects the deep idea of the Mongolian old proverb that the lives and spirits of neighbors are the same.”
　　The donated sheep were collected from herders in three eastern and southern provinces of Mongolia—Khentii， Sukhbaatar and Dornogobi， and received thorough veterinary examinations. Officials said that by the middle of November， the delivery would be concluded.

Sheep diplomacy

During his visit in February， Battulga was warmly welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as the first foreign head of state to visit China since COVID-19 hit the country. The visit and the gift of sheep was reminiscent of ancient traditions and expressed the Mongolian people’s support to the Chinese people to overcome hardship.
　　The gift expresses special considerations and friendship. Traditionally， for Mongolians the sheep is the first choice for giving gifts， implying sincerity and enthusiasm. Also， mutton is the best food for enhancing immunity and they hope that the Chinese can overcome the epidemic as soon as possible.
　　Mongolians say， “A needle in need is of greater use than a camel in prosperity” as it implies “adversity reveals the quality of friendship.” In response to the remarks made by Battulga during his visit， Xi also quoted ancient Chinese proverbs. He said， “If you have received a drop of beneficence from other people， you should return to them a fountain of beneficence.”


　　Both sides called the meeting at the time of a nationwide fight against COVID-19 in China proof that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries had reached a new height and said it demonstrated ideal cooperation between neighboring countries to the world.
　　The Chinese also expressed their appreciation. The hashtag #Mongolian President Donates 30，000 Sheep to China received more than 100 million views on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
　　Experts say the “sheep diplomacy” has helped solidify the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries， improve political and economic relations， and deepen mutual understanding between Chinese and Mongolian people.
　　Dashdorj Bayarkhuu， an international affairs expert and former Mongolian diplomat， considered Battulga’s visit as a “diplomatic victory for a small state” and a “smart move to promote Mongolia’s positive image to the Chinese people.”
　　Another Mongolian independent international affair researcher Luguusharav Byambakhand said the visit was a “soft power policy success for Mongolia in winning over the hearts and minds of the Chinese.”

Opportunity for trade

Currently， China buys almost 90 percent of Mongolia’s exports， mostly coal and copper. So the spread of COVID-19 in China posed particular challenges to Mongolia. During that difficult time， the export of commodities to China， Mongolia’s main source of revenue， was severely disrupted.
　　Mongolia has had to prevent the virus from spreading within its territory while keeping its economy afloat. After Battulga’s visit， coal transportation resumed with additional precautionary measures.
　　China and Mongolia plan to lift bilateral trade to $10 billion this year. Trade between them reached $8.9 billion in 2019， accounting for 64.4 percent of Mongolia’s total imports and exports， according to the Mongolian National Statistics Office.
　　In the coming years， Mongolia aims to increase exports to China—primarily its livestock. According to a census conducted in 2019， livestock animals in Mongolia totaled 70.9 million. The country has the potential to export 6 to 7 million livestock animals or 174，000 tons of meat annually. However， due to Mongolia’s underdeveloped animal hygiene system and China’s customs regulations， China imports only frozen horse meat and a small amount of heat-processed beef from Mongolia.
　　In 2019， Mongolia exported 58，000 tons of meat， of which 30，300 tons went to China. It set a goal of exporting 7 million tons of meat to more than 15 countries in 2020， but due to the pandemic， food exports were suspended in the first half of the year.
　　Mongolia has identified agriculture as one of the pillars of its economic development and aims to become a “food exporter.”It is keen to take advantage of China’s opening-up policies and increase exports to its southern neighbor.
　　The fact that Mongolia successfully delivered live sheep to China for the first time indicates the potential for further supply of mutton to China and other meat.