An Analysis of Japan’s ODA to Mongolia

　　Abstract: With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Mongolia’s turn to market economy, in 1991, Japan began to extend its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Mongolia. Even though Japan’s aid figures have been relatively modest to date, the country has since become the largest donor state to Mongolia. Catering to the needs of the different stages of Mongolia’s economic developments and strategic concerns, Japan’s aid to Mongolia has transited three phases: urgent relief aid, planned recovery aid, and planned development aid. Japan’s ODA played a crucial role in the deepening of Japan-Mongolia ties in the 1990s, aided Mongolia’s economic recovery and development, and contributed to Mongolia’s successful transition into market economy in the process. In reverse, Japan has benefitted from its ODA to Mongolia. It has enabled Japan to consolidate its strategic position in Northeast Asia and raise its international profile. Through ODA, Japan has also gained access to Mongolia’s market and the country’s vast resources.

　　Authors: Wulan Tuya, Associate Research Professor, Institute of Northeast Asia, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences