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When we think of Mongolia, do we think of cattle and sheep everywhere, and the sandstorms in Ulaanbaatar? However, it is not wrong to think that most people in Mongolia still live by grazing, and desertification is very serious, and sand and dust weather is commonplace. How to look at Mongolia, it is also compared to Inner Mongolia. Mongolia's total GDP output was only $12.7 billion in 2022 and $19.8 billion in 2023. Compared with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on the mainland, although it may be at the bottom of the ranking of provinces in terms of economic capacity, its GDP in 2023 has exceeded 2.46 trillion yuan.
Despite its large population of 24 million, Inner Mongolia has a considerable GDP per capita, at about $15,000. By comparison, Mongolia's per capita GDP is only about $5,800, just over one-third of that of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Mongolia is a poor country in Asia, so why do we still have people who immigrate to Mongolia?
History of Mongolia
In the 13th century, Genghis Khan unified the Mongol tribes and established the Mongol Empire, and his iron cavalry swept across the Eurasian continent, creating an unprecedented empire. In 1206, Genghis Khan officially began his conquests against the Western Xia and Jin dynasties, followed by an attack on the Southern Song Dynasty, which eventually led to the fall of much of Chinese territory to the Mongols. By the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, China officially became part of the Mongol Empire.
The Mongol rulers embraced many Han Chinese cultures and statecraft, and adopted a series of policies that promoted economic development and ethnic integration. At the same time, the unification of the Mongol Empire led to the reconstruction and expansion of the Silk Road trade routes, which facilitated the exchange of culture and goods between the East and the West. In the Yuan Dynasty, the collision and integration of Han culture and Mongolian culture jointly created an era of pluralism and integration.
The good times did not last long, due to years of war and excessive taxation, coupled with frequent natural disasters and the people's lives, the rule of the Yuan Dynasty gradually lost the support of the people. In 1368, the Ming army led by Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty. Although the Mongols lost their dominion over China, the exchanges between the two countries did not end. In the centuries since, war and peace have alternated between China and Mongolia, and the border line has changed in the course of war and negotiations.
Until the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, Mongolia was incorporated into the territory of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty strengthened its rule over Mongolia by establishing vassals and canonizing them. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century, with the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of the independence movement in the Mongolian region, that in 1911 Mongolia declared its independence and became the state of Mongolia. Since then, Mongolian-Chinese relations have entered a new stage, and under the influence of the Soviet Union, Mongolian-Chinese relations have undergone complex changes, from cooperation to confrontation to reconciliation.
How underdeveloped is Mongolia?
Mongolia's economy is highly dependent on natural resources, especially mineral exports, such as copper, coal, gold, iron ore, etc., which are important pillars of Mongolia's economy. However, the high dependence on resource exports also makes the Mongolian economy highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets. In addition, agriculture and animal husbandry are also an important part of Mongolia's economy, with about one-third of the workforce engaged in agriculture-related jobs. Although agriculture and agriculture provide a stable source of food and some of the country's exports, it is produced in a relatively traditional way, limited by natural conditions, and vulnerable to climate change.
In terms of education, Mongolia is committed to improving the level of national education, implementing a nine-year compulsory education policy, and investing in education as a percentage of GDP is increasing. However, educational resources are mainly concentrated in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and the quality of education and resources in rural and remote areas are relatively backward. Due to the sparse size of the area, access to and quality of health services is also a major problem in remote areas.
Moreover, Mongolia is inaccessible, many railways are a product of the Soviet era, and the infrastructure is not yet perfect, especially in rural and remote areas. Inconvenient transportation and unstable power supply limit economic development and the improvement of people's quality of life. The lights in the city belong to less than 1% of the wealthy. The average salary is only about 265 US dollars, which is equivalent to less than 2,000 yuan, and even rarely more than 3,000. However, in such a small country that is too poor to be poor, there are still people on the mainland who choose to immigrate here.
Chinese immigrants from Mongolia
According to statistics, although the number of people who have migrated to Mongolia from China is not large, less than 10,000 in total, considering that the total population of Mongolia is only 3,390,000, the proportion of nearly 10,000 Chinese immigrants is quite striking. There is an argument that the average salary in Mongolia is not high, so prices should be relatively low, but the reality is that the cost of living in Mongolia is usually twice or even higher than that of China, except for a few commodities such as beef and mutton, which are lower than in China. Not to mention the salary of 2,000, even 20,000 is not durable. So, since the situation in Mongolia is so bad, the Chinese still choose to immigrate to Mongolia, what is the plan?
Ulaanbaatar is the heart of Mongolia and is home to a bustling metropolis that hosts about half of the country's population. Here, businessmen and entrepreneurs from China have opened restaurants and supermarkets, bringing a large number of Chinese-made goods, selected delicacies and fresh fruits and vegetables to the land. In Mongolia, where cattle and sheep husbandry are the mainstay and other necessities of life are relatively scarce, these products and foods not only provide a rich choice, but also feel like a revolutionary change, and at the same time bring huge profits to merchants.
In fact, this tradition has a long history, and Mongolia was previously our territory. Outer Mongolia achieved independence and closely monitored the movement of its inhabitants with the mainland. As a result, many Chinese who had been engaged in business activities in Outer Mongolia were forced to return to their home countries, and over time, they gradually integrated into the local society and became part of Mongolia. Today, the Chinese who choose to move to Mongolia have similar motivations as in the past, essentially seeking better economic opportunities.
However, most of them are not Mongolians from Inner Mongolia on the mainland, but are actually Han Chinese from Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Although many Chinese who chose to move to Outer Mongolia settled in Ulaanbaatar, their hearts still cared for their homeland. This has led them to return to Hohhot frequently – and despite the change in status, their hearts have never left China.