China's Premier Wen Jiabao (R) and Mongolia's Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing

China's Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and Mongolia's Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold inspect a military honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 16, 2011. China and Mongolia have signed a strategic partnership deal, with Beijing agreeing to provide a US$500 million loan to the landlocked but mineral-rich central Asian country. UPI/Stephen Shaver