Chinese official media has warned Mongolia that it is "politically harebrained" to seek India's help as the move will further complicate bilateral ties, amid reports that Ulan Bator sought the support of New Delhi to overcome financial difficulties arising out of many factors including the imposition of border tariffs against it by China.

Lu Kang, Foreign Ministry spokesman has declined to respond to a question on Mongolian envoy to New Delhi Gonchig Ganhold's reported comments on seeking India's support to counter Chinese measures, saying that he has not heard of any such remarks.

In an article on the State-run Global Times, Mongolia had been criticized for approaching India. According to the article, "Sandwiched between Russia and China, Mongolia vows to remain a neutral state to benefit from both sides without having to get involved in a major-power competition”. It added that Mongolia seemed naive about the way international relations works.

Mongolia caught China by surprise by hosting the Dalai Lama last month for four days, saying that it was purely a religious visit.

China protested with its Foreign Ministry saying that the Tibetan spiritual leader is a "political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China".

Buddhism, which has been widely followed in Mongolia, derived much of its characteristics from Tibetan Buddhism.

Mongolia said that it is purely a religious visit by Dalai Lama and there was no political strings attached to it.

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By Prakriti neogi