Bonus: He Met Putin and Xi Over 30 Times. What Did He Learn?

One Decision

No country quite understands what it’s like to live next to a major power to the extent Mongolia does because it lives between two. For decades, the government had to balance its relations and goals against the actions and ambitions of its neighbors— except one, Russia is now a pariah, and Mongolia is almost entirely dependent on the other—China for trade. In this week's bonus episode, guest host, journalist and Senior Editor at Semafor, Prashant Rao, sits down with Mongolia's former President and Prime Minister, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, who led his country’s transition to democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union. They discuss the relationship that Mongolia has built with China and Russia, what he learned from his interactions with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, how he navigated pressure from Beijing during the Dalai Lama's visits to Mongolia, and what the United States should understand about China.