[Explosive tweet: Can Mongolian railway cooperation achieve the imaginary "railway to the sky"? 】
Recently, Mongolia has made another sensation by planning a rail cooperation with South Korea to achieve interconnection on land. This news can't help but make people wonder where the Mongolian railway will go. Is it really possible to bypass China?
Mongolia, a special country hidden deep in the middle of the Asian continent, is sparsely populated and complex, but it is rich in mineral resources. Rare resources such as coal, copper, and iron ore have made this country the "Saudi Arabia" of the mining industry. In the face of these precious resources, Mongolia's development has long ceased to be satisfied with its dependence on Russia and China. In recent years, they have begun to actively seek cooperation with Western countries, carry out rare earth cooperation with the United States, and expand air routes with Europe and the United States. Now, there are bold plans for rail cooperation with South Korea.
South Korea, a small country located in southeastern Asia, has become a dark horse on the international stage with its geographical advantages and excellent economic development. However, South Korea is relatively resource-poor and heavily dependent on imports. In order to obtain more mineral resources, especially strategic resources such as rare earths, South Korea has also set its sights on Mongolia, a treasure land.
Against this backdrop, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea held a seminar on railway cooperation. The focus of the research is mainly on how to open up the railway lines between the two countries and achieve interconnection. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Mongolia has to overcome many difficulties and challenges if it wants to achieve railway cooperation with the ROK.
First of all, considering Mongolia's remote location, land communication with South Korea needs to pass through neighboring countries, especially China. Most of the existing railway lines are based on Sino-Russian cooperation, and Mongolia and South Korea are undoubtedly facing huge challenges if they want to build a new railway line. Even if China and Russia agree to support it, there will be many technical and political hurdles to overcome. And the only way to avoid China is through another neighbor of Mongolia - Russia.
The Russian Far East is a complex terrain and harsh natural conditions, and it is difficult to build a railway line from Mongolia to South Korea. Moreover, the backward infrastructure and sparse population of the Russian Far East also increase the difficulty and cost of railway construction. What's more, Russia's geopolitical calculations also need to be treated with caution.
Another key factor is North Korea. In order to extend the railway to South Korea, it must pass through the territory of North Korea, but the current situation on the Korean Peninsula is complicated, and the future direction is difficult. Even if North Korea agrees, it is unclear whether the internal situation will be stable.
All things considered, although the railway cooperation between Mongolia and South Korea is full of imagination and imagination, there are still many difficulties and challenges to be overcome before it can be truly realized. But as the old saying goes: "There is no way out of the mountains and rivers, and the willows and flowers are bright and another village." "I believe that with the joint efforts of all parties, the dream of "railway to heaven" between Mongolia and South Korea will one day become a reality. Click to see more