The PRC and Mongolia share a common border of about 4,600 kilometers. In 2000, both countries expressed strong interest in exploring possibilities for economic cooperation, particularly as a means of fostering economic development in remote border areas. ADB provided technical assistance that helped formulate a strategic development outline for promoting economic cooperation, particularly in the area covering the three provinces in eastern Mongolia and the Xinganmeng Prefecture in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PRC.