Chinese Inner Mongolia and the Mongolian State are separate entities, but confusion remains as to the differences.

Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

ULAANBAATAR, May 30 – Recent reports in the press over ethnic tensions “in Mongolia” demonstrate there is still much to be understood about the region. Apparently, an ethnic Mongolian herder was killed by a Han Chinese lorry driver in an accident that has sparked unrest in the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. Meanwhile, Mongolia itself remains an independent country and is utterly unaffected by the incident in China. Such reports however, tend to demonstrate poor standards of journalism, a lack of appreciation of the dynamics between the two areas, and a disregard for historical fact. That the incident was widely reported in headlines as having taken place in “Mongolia” blurs distinctions and is indicative of lazy journalism. In this article I aim to describe the differences between the two as well as shed some light on the background to the incident in question. Continue reading →