After several years of vigorous democratization efforts and painful free-market reforms, Mongolia appears to be eagerly courting new shepherds to lead its 2.4 million people toward a more prosperous and secure future.
But that doesn't mean the impoverished, pastoral nation and its people are ready to welcome anybody in that role. Whom does Mongolia see as the most desirable and reliable shepherd? And, conversely, whom does the country perceive as a potential wolf?
During the Cold War, Mongolia relied heavily on the Soviet Union and, to a much lesser extent, other Moscow satellites for both trade and economic aid. Soviet troops were long stationed in Mongolia, mostly on its border with China. They were completely withdrawn at the end of 1992 amid a thaw in the long icy relations between Moscow and Beijing, which had been locked in sharp confrontation over ideological differences since the late 1950s.