On Wednesday, September 6, Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin participated in the Fourth China-Mongolia Expo, a prestigious national-level event hosted by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a Chinese NEAR member. During the expo, Mr. Lim engaged in various significant activities, including a group reception and a welcoming dinner for diplomatic delegations. These events were graciously hosted by ZHANG Yankun, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. A private welcome luncheon for the NEAR delegation was also hosted by QI Qige, vice-chairman of the CPPCC, and HU Feng, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

At the welcome dinner, Mr. Lim had the privilege of meeting with prominent figures such as LI Fei, vice minister of Commerce; HUANG Zhiqiang, vice-chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; S. Amarsaikhan, deputy prime minister of Mongolia; S. Odongtuya, vice-chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament of Mongolia); and T. Enkhtuvshin, a member of Dornogovi Parliament, Mongolia. Mr. Lim presented the activities of Chinese and Mongolian NEAR members and requested their interest and support for the association.

Furthermore, Mr. Lim attended an exclusive welcome luncheon for the NEAR delegation, which was led by Mr. Qi, vice-chairman of the CPPCC, and Mr. Hu, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. During this luncheon, Mr. Lim highlighted NEAR’s endorsement of the passage of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s proposed establishment of the Subcommittee on Energy Cooperation at the upcoming 14th Ulsan General Assembly in October. He requested the attendance of a high-level delegation at the assembly.

Mr. Qi, vice-chairman of the CPPCC, expressed a positive assessment of NEAR’s role in regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. He thanked the NEAR Secretariat for its support and emphasized that Chairman WANG Lixia values NEAR highly. He expressed hopes for closer collaboration with NEAR members through the newly established Subcommittee on Energy Cooperation.

Notably, the China-Mongolia Expo is a nationally significant event jointly hosted by the governments of China and Mongolia. It has been held every other year since 2015. It has evolved into a prominent platform for economic and trade cooperation in Northeast Asia, extending beyond the two countries.