Mongolia

The horse that saved me on the Mongolian steppe

Raised in a remote Mongolian temple, writer and adventurer Bateer Chai grew up among horses that define life on the steppe. One black horse became his guardian, shielding him from wolves and shaping his childhood forever. As we enter the Year of the Horse, he reflects on the bond between Mongolians and their horses — a relationship that is both life-defining and timeless.

Bateer Chai

16 Feb 2026

The Dalai Lama’s succession and the geopolitics of faith

As the Dalai Lama prepares for succession, China is gearing up for a battle over spiritual authority and political legitimacy. Outside Tibet and India, only Bhutan, Nepal and Mongolia have significant Tibetan Buddhist followings — but their responses to Beijing’s claims are likely to vary widely, says Indian researcher Amit Kumar.

Amit Kumar

11 Aug 2025

No more Mongol-Russian style empire: Thoughts on the war in Ukraine

Chinese academic Deng Xize notes that the Mongol and Russian empires were very similar in origin and nature, but the conditions that allowed their rise and spread no longer exist today, leading to their inevitable decline. The global reaction to the war in Ukraine in fact shows that such empires will no longer be tolerated.

Deng Xize

04 Oct 2022

Between a rock and a hard place: Mongolia's ambivalent relations with China

Sandwiched between Russia to the north and China to the south, landlocked Mongolia has always had tough choices to make in its foreign policy strategies. Towards China, which it used to be a part of and continues to share kinship ties with the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, it harbours historical suspicion. But with China being its top export destination and key investment partner, the head may rule the heart.

Loro Horta

24 Nov 2021

Wary of Sino-Russian influence, Mongolia seeks better ties with the US

The ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) won a strong mandate in recent elections where it secured 62 seats out of 76. While it has done well to manage the Covid-19 crisis in Mongolia, its foreign policy room for manoeuvre remains limited due to the need to juggle demands from its closest neighbours, China and Russia. How will it keep the balls in the air with the US thrown into the mix?

Rishi Gupta

20 Jul 2020