12-28-2016, 10:37 PM
*** 29-Dec-16 World View -- China punishes Mongolia for Dalai Lama visit during financial crisis
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Mongolia's herders faces a 'dzud' weather catastrophe
****
![[Image: g161228b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g161228b.jpg)
During a Mongolian 'dzud', animals starve because they cannot dig through a thick, solid layer of ice to reach food
An extremely harsh winter in Mongolia is sending temperatures to
-50°C (-70°F), causing a humanitarian disaster, and
threatening both lives and livelihoods.
Mongolia appears to be headed for another winter "dzud." The
word "dzud" refers to a phenomenon that appears to be somewhat
unique to Mongolia.
It usually occurs after a dry summer combines with heavy snowstorms
creating an ice crust that makes it difficult for livestock, mostly
cows, sheep and goats, to dig through to reach grass. This year, the
dry summer in the northeast and late autumn rains means the dzud risk
is high. Heavy snowfall from October has refrozen after more heavy
snow in November.
A third of Mongolia's population rely directly on livestock -- milk,
cheese and meat for food, dung for heating, fur for clothing, and
income from selling these items. Over 1.2 million livestock died in
last winter's dzud, leaving tens of thousands of herders in poverty.
The worst dzud in memory occurred in 2010, killing 8 million animals.
UB Post (Mongolia) and Deutsche Welle
****
**** China punishes Mongolia for Dalai Lama visit during financial crisis
****
In 2011, Mongolia economy grew by an astronomical 17.5%, thanks to its
huge reserves of copper, coal and gold, making the economy seem
invincible. Instead of saving some of that money, Mongolia borrowed
billions of dollars more to invest in huge road and infrastructure
projects. Now Mongolia is in a major economic crisis, thanks to
reduced purchases by China and falling commodity prices, at a time
when it's being hit hard by a new harsh winter "dzud."
In the midst of this economic and financial crisis, the Buddhist
leader the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia's capital city Ulaanbaatar in
November for a six-day visit. More than half of Mongolia's population
are Buddhist, and tens of thousands of them flocked to see the Dalai
Lama, with some traveling hundreds of miles.
China does not like the Dalai Lama, as he is worshipped by millions of
Tibetan Buddhists in China. So China punished Mongolia by closing
part of the border, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying copper and
coal backed up on the highway in sub-zero temperatures.
Mongolian officials quickly saw the error of their ways. Foreign
minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil made what is apparently an official apology
to China:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"You can understand that during the full term of this
> government, the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to visit Mongolia
> even for religious purposes."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
According to a Chinese analyst: "China shall accept Mongolia's apology
because China doesn't want to create friction in Northeast Asia
either, particularly at a time when it is facing tensions with other
nations, such as Japan and South Korea." Shanghaiist and Global Times (Beijing) and Al-Jazeera
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mongolia, dzud, China, Tibet,
Dalai Lama, Tsend Munkh-Orgil
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Mongolia's herders faces a 'dzud' weather catastrophe
- China punishes Mongolia for Dalai Lama visit during financial crisis
****
**** Mongolia's herders faces a 'dzud' weather catastrophe
****
During a Mongolian 'dzud', animals starve because they cannot dig through a thick, solid layer of ice to reach food
An extremely harsh winter in Mongolia is sending temperatures to
-50°C (-70°F), causing a humanitarian disaster, and
threatening both lives and livelihoods.
Mongolia appears to be headed for another winter "dzud." The
word "dzud" refers to a phenomenon that appears to be somewhat
unique to Mongolia.
It usually occurs after a dry summer combines with heavy snowstorms
creating an ice crust that makes it difficult for livestock, mostly
cows, sheep and goats, to dig through to reach grass. This year, the
dry summer in the northeast and late autumn rains means the dzud risk
is high. Heavy snowfall from October has refrozen after more heavy
snow in November.
A third of Mongolia's population rely directly on livestock -- milk,
cheese and meat for food, dung for heating, fur for clothing, and
income from selling these items. Over 1.2 million livestock died in
last winter's dzud, leaving tens of thousands of herders in poverty.
The worst dzud in memory occurred in 2010, killing 8 million animals.
UB Post (Mongolia) and Deutsche Welle
****
**** China punishes Mongolia for Dalai Lama visit during financial crisis
****
In 2011, Mongolia economy grew by an astronomical 17.5%, thanks to its
huge reserves of copper, coal and gold, making the economy seem
invincible. Instead of saving some of that money, Mongolia borrowed
billions of dollars more to invest in huge road and infrastructure
projects. Now Mongolia is in a major economic crisis, thanks to
reduced purchases by China and falling commodity prices, at a time
when it's being hit hard by a new harsh winter "dzud."
In the midst of this economic and financial crisis, the Buddhist
leader the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia's capital city Ulaanbaatar in
November for a six-day visit. More than half of Mongolia's population
are Buddhist, and tens of thousands of them flocked to see the Dalai
Lama, with some traveling hundreds of miles.
China does not like the Dalai Lama, as he is worshipped by millions of
Tibetan Buddhists in China. So China punished Mongolia by closing
part of the border, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying copper and
coal backed up on the highway in sub-zero temperatures.
Mongolian officials quickly saw the error of their ways. Foreign
minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil made what is apparently an official apology
to China:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"You can understand that during the full term of this
> government, the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to visit Mongolia
> even for religious purposes."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
According to a Chinese analyst: "China shall accept Mongolia's apology
because China doesn't want to create friction in Northeast Asia
either, particularly at a time when it is facing tensions with other
nations, such as Japan and South Korea." Shanghaiist and Global Times (Beijing) and Al-Jazeera
Related Articles
- Mongolia in economic crisis asks the IMF for a bailout (05-Oct-2016)
- China's yuan devaluation causes currency chaos in Asia (20-Aug-2015)
- Mongolia's natural resource riches lost to corruption and foreigners (08-Aug-2013)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mongolia, dzud, China, Tibet,
Dalai Lama, Tsend Munkh-Orgil
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
