What to Make of Mongolia's Upcoming Summit With Russia and China

An upcoming trilateral summit between Mongolia and its two powerful neighbors, Russia and China, will showcase Ulaanbaatar's efforts to balance its reliance on Moscow and Beijing with its drive for greater economic and political independence. Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 15-16. The meeting follows a surge in Mongolian diplomatic and economic outreach centered on attracting new investment, expanding cross-border transportation corridors, promoting economic diversification, and buffering Mongolia from its heavy economic reliance on China....