On the afternoon of April 24, 2026, “the 14th ‘Meet SDGs’forum - From Silk Roads to Smart Cities: Mongolia’s Sustainable Development Vision and Advancing Mongolia-China Partnership for a Shared Green Future”, was successfully held at the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SPPM). The event was hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SDG Institute). In this forum, Nambaryn Enkhbayar, former President of Mongolia (2005-2009) gave a keynote speech. Xue Lan, Director of Tsinghua SDG Institute, Distinguished Professor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Dean of Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University made welcome remarks. Distinguished guests including Batsukh Galsan, former Mongolian Ambassador to China and Chairman of Mongolia-China Friendship Association; Dashnamjil Enkhbayar and Eden Cai, Managing Partners of DE Mongolia Group; and Zhu Junming, Vice Director of Tsinghua SDG Institute and Associate Professor of Tsinghua SPPM attended the forum. The event was moderated by Professor Zhu Xufeng, Dean and Professor of Tsinghua SPPM and Executive Dean of Tsinghua SDG Institute.
Welcome Remarks by Prof. Xue Lan
Firstly, Xue Lan reviewed the positive progress achieved over the past decade in implementing Global Strategy of Tsinghua University, particularly in international cooperation and sustainable development. He noted that China and Mongolia, as friendly neighbors connected by geography and history, have in recent years made continuous progress in economic and trade exchanges, regional energy cooperation, and infrastructure connectivity, with bilateral relations deepening steadily. Against the backdrop of accelerating changes in the global geopolitical landscape, cooperation between the two countries in green and sustainable development has become increasingly critical. Xue Lan emphasised that the lecture aligns closely with the global development agenda and carries significant practical relevance, expressing hope that in-depth exchanges would further elevate China-Mongolia cooperation to a higher level.
Keynote Speech by Former President Nambaryn Enkhbayar
In the keynote speech, titled “From Silk Roads to Smart Cities: Mongolia’s Sustainable Development and Advancing Mongolia-China Partnership for a Shared Green Future,” Nambaryn Enkhbayar systematically reviewed over two millennia of historical ties and contemporary cooperation between China and Mongolia. He highlighted the long-standing interactions and mutual shaping between the two countries in trade, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. From a historical coexistence of competition and cooperation, China-Mongolia relations have evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership in the modern era, demonstrating strong complementarity and practical significance. He emphasised that China has become Mongolia’s most important trading partner, with increasingly close economic and trade ties. However, this has also brought challenges, including a relatively undiversified economic structure and growing external dependence. Amid profound adjustments in the global economic landscape, such asymmetry has rendered Mongolia somewhat vulnerable. Therefore, advancing economic transformation and enhancing independent development capacity have become essential pathways for Mongolia to achieve sustainable development.
Looking ahead, Enkhbayar argued that Mongolia should prioritise technological innovation and industrial upgrading, shifting from resource-based exports to high value-added products while proactively aligning with the demands of the Chinese market. In this process, further deepening cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as in green development and desertification control, will be crucial. In particular, he stressed the importance of strengthening cross-border coordination in addressing desertification in the Gobi region to achieve both ecological and economic benefits. In the context of a complex and evolving international landscape, China-Mongolia cooperation holds not only bilateral significance but also serves as an important model for regional stability and development. He proposed the vision of a “Steppe Silk Road,” aimed at advancing bilateral relations to a higher level through infrastructure connectivity, cultural revitalization, and collaboration in science, technology, and talent development.
In his concluding remarks, Enkhbayar expressed his expectation that governments, universities, and all sectors of society would work in concert to further deepen China-Mongolia relations. As key platforms for knowledge innovation and talent cultivation, universities should play a more proactive role in promoting technological progress and fostering people-to-people exchanges, jointly contributing to a new paradigm of regional cooperation characterised by mutual benefit, openness, and inclusiveness.
Q&A Session
During the Q&A session, Enkhbayar engaged in in-depth and thought-provoking discussions with faculty and students. Topics included Mongolia’s development of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the construction of higher education systems, national development pathways and international cooperation, as well as opportunities and challenges in infrastructure development. The discussion was lively and well received. As part of the 115th anniversary celebrations of Tsinghua University, the event attracted more than one hundred participants, including faculty and students, industry representatives, and experts from both within and beyond the university.
Moderated by Prof. Zhu Xufeng
On-site Lecture
