On October 1, 2026, Chinese media outlet Guancha.cn reported on the background of Mongolia entrusting the expansion project of its main international airport to Japan, even as Mongolia heavily relies on trade with China.

The article reported that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Mongolian Prime Minister Ochiral met on September 29 and signed a yen loan agreement for the expansion project of Chinggis Khaan International Airport. It stated that Japan loaned approximately 158.2 billion yen at an annual interest rate of 1.1% with a repayment period of 40 years (including a 10-year grace period), and that "tied aid" conditions were attached, limiting procurement sources to Japan.

Furthermore, it explained that the airport was constructed with Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) and opened in 2021, with four Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Corporation and Narita International Airport, jointly holding the operating rights with the Mongolian side. With this expansion, the passenger handling capacity is expected to reach 5.2 million people annually, approximately three times the current capacity, and Japan has been continuously involved in the country's "gateway to the sky" for over 10 years, from financing to construction, operation, and expansion.

On the other hand, it pointed out that Mongolia's trade with China in 2025 accounted for 69.2% of its total trade, and its exports are heavily skewed towards mineral resources such as coal and copper. For Mongolia, a landlocked country sandwiched between China and Russia, the main destination for its resources must physically be China, and it argued that Japan could not possibly be an alternative.

Regarding the background, the article analyzed that Mongolia has a "third neighbor" diplomacy stance to strengthen relations with countries other than China and Russia. Prime Minister Takaichi also positioned Japan as Mongolia's "most important third neighbor" in her meeting with Prime Minister Ochiral, and showed a willingness to support the strengthening of its autonomy, in addition to reporting that both countries are deepening cooperation in a wide range of fields such as energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and transfer of defense equipment.

The article considered that these moves by Mongolia are not simply "moving away from China" but rather a realistic structure where the deeper its economic dependence on China becomes, the more it seeks diverse partners in other fields. It concluded that Japan's investment is not merely infrastructure development, but holds significance as a "third door" that Mongolia continues to reinforce for its own sake, in the narrow space between China and Russia. (Edited and translated by Kawajiri)