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As New Delhi dispatches its senior ministers to strengthen ties in the area, China will closely monitor India's future high-level contacts in its neighbouring nations of Mongolia and Japan.

While attention will be on the second round of India-Japan 2+2 talks on September 8 between the foreign and defence ministers of India and Japan, Beijing will also be keenly monitoring defence minister Rajnath Singh's two-day trip to Mongolia before his visit to Tokyo.

On September 6, a day after arriving in Mongolia, Singh has a full day of high-level meetings planned in Ulaanbaatar, including a one-on-one meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who is also holding a dinner in Singh's honour that evening.

The completion of Mongolia's largest oil refinery, which was built with a $1.2 billion line of credit from India, is sure to be a major topic of conversation.

When finished in 2025, the refinery in the Dornogobi area of Mongolia should be able to supply 75% of the needs of the nation.