Mongolia has donated 20,000 masks to China in an effort to support its battle against the COVID-19 virus, according to media reports.

The donation is from the Mongolian Red Cross Society to its counterpart in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The consignment was quickly cleared through customs on March 2 at a checkpoint in Ereenhot, the largest Chinese inland port open to Mongolia.

The move came following the state visit of Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga to China on Feb 27, where he expressed his sympathy and support for Chinese people impacted by the virus. 

Battulga also pledged to donate 30,000 sheep to China.

Ereenhot Port

Ereenhot Port is the largest border checkpoint or land port in China that opens to neighboring Mongolia. It is across the border from Zamyn-Uud in Mongolia and 714 kilometers away from Mongolia’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar.

Due to its unique location advantages and convenient customs clearance environment, the port is responsible for more than 60 percent of the rail and road freight transportation tasks between China and Mongolia.

Statistics from Ereenhot Port reveal that as of Feb 29, the entry-exit border inspection station of Ereenhot has inspected and released 244 Chinese and European trains of which 89 were outbound and 155 were inbound, a year-on-year increase of 20.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the port’s road check point handles more than 160 Mongolian trucks per day.