Russia Breaks Silence Over China Map Claiming Its Territory
The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected China’s apparent claim of ownership over a disputed island that has been a source of tension between Moscow and Beijing for decades.
Earlier this week, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times newspaper published the “2023 edition of China’s standard map,” crediting the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The map touches on multiple territorial disputes, among them Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, which sits at the confluence of the Ussuri and Amur rivers that separate Russia and China. The island is known as Heixiazi, or Black Bear, in Chinese.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed any suggestion of reopening the territorial dispute, which she said had been settled by bilateral agreements more than 15 years ago.
“The Russian and Chinese sides adhere to the common position that the border issue between our countries has been finally resolved,” Zakharova said in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry website.
“Its settlement was marked by the ratification in 2005 of the Supplementary Agreement on the Russian-Chinese state border on its eastern part, according to which Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island was divided between the parties.”
“The delimitation and demarcation of our common border has been completed along its entire length (almost 4,300 km [2,670 miles]), including in 2008 on Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island.”
The island has been split between Russian and Chinese control per the bilateral agreements. But China’s newly published official map suggests it claims control of the entire 135-square-mile piece of land.
Zakharova, though, said the “resolution” of the dispute “was the result of many years of efforts by both sides, a reflection of the high level of relations between the two countries, made an important contribution to ensuring security and stability in the region, and is a successful example of resolving border disputes for all countries of the world.”
“Russia and China have repeatedly confirmed the absence of mutual territorial claims, and there is a corresponding provision in the Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of July 16, 2001,” the spokesperson added
“The parties have an extensive structure of interaction in the field of border cooperation, the Joint Border Commission is functioning effectively, within which all relevant issues are discussed.”
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email to request comment.
Beijing’s new map has created fresh tensions with several other neighbors. India, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines have all expressed opposition to the symbolic landgrab.
Chinese officials have been unapologetic. “A correct national map is a symbol of national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Li Yongchun, a senior resources ministry official, said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said publishing the map was “a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law.” Wang added: “We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from overinterpreting the issue.”
If this were any other country complaining about illegal land grabbing, I’d be sympathetic to their plight, but Russia is literally in the middle of a war caused by their own illegal land grabbing. They can get fucked
And they’ve been doing it for years. In the Grand Tour episode where they drove across Georgia they saw a place where Russian soldiers move the barbed wire that marks border in the middle of the night. There was this poor old man weeping because they’d taken his entire farm this way.
Fuck Putin and fuck Russia for “electing” him.
It’s funny how Russians consistently manage to have the absolute worst of them as rulers
The entire country has untreated PTSD from when the Mongols ruled them and they self-medicated with vodka for centuries
This is unironically actually true.
Catherine II and Peter were ok, though.
And funnily (??) Catherine the Great wasn’t Russian, and Peter’s legacy is pretty hotly contested. He was a reformer in many senses but still very Russian; eg. St. Petersburg was built with slave labor by conscripting serfs, an incredible amount of who died in the process
It hardly makes them “absolute worst of rulers”.
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With the sabotage and drone strikes Ukraine is doing in Russia, safe to say Russia would be 4th.
Yes. This is where Russia can fuck itself for all eternity
What’s russia gonna do? Become the 3rd most powerful army in Russia? (after China, Wagner)
I mean, if drone strikes count, wouldn’t they be the 4th most powerful Army? (Ukraine, China (no evidence of their strength), Wagner)
Oh, Russia is mad that another country is making illegal claim to territory they see as their own?
Slava Ukraini. Crimea isn’t the only thing Russia’s going to lose now that the entire world knows their military is a husk.
The island has been split between Russian and Chinese control per the bilateral agreements. But China’s newly published official map suggests it claims control of the entire 135-square-mile piece of land.
So it sounds like China is placing as much importance on those bilateral agreements as Russia did with Budapest Memorandum recognizing Ukrainian sovereignty and national borders.
Perhaps there are ethnically Chinese plants an animals on the island needing to be protected by China. /s
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed any suggestion of reopening the territorial dispute, which she said had been settled by bilateral agreements more than 15 years ago.
Strange… I thought Ukraine had similar deals… I wonder what happened to those agreements…?
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said publishing the map was “a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law.” Wang added: “We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from overinterpreting the issue.”
I think the problem is the map is that you can’t over interpret a map. It’s pretty basic and quite clear.
What people might not get is this is pretty common for the people of China to haggle for everything. They usually will try to start from a position of power and negotiate down.
They might not understand that they are negotiating with people’s lives though, and people might not appreciate the nuance.
I’m always bemused by territorial disputes like this one. To me, it seems like one of the most basic aspects of being a country is defining exactly what your territory is, and being precise about where your borders are. I know I’m oversimplifying, but damn, people.
Regardless of how “civilized” humans are, borders are just lines on sheets of paper. The real border is where you can place your feet by use (or threat) of violence. The law between nations is the law of the jungle.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said publishing the map was “a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law.” Wang added: “We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from overinterpreting the issue.”
I don’t know if a lot of context is lost in translation from Chinese or if China’s diplomatic language is just that weird… An “exercise in sovereignty” that is not to be overinterpreted? Is this saying that they are just putting this out for their internal public but shouldn’t be taken seriously outside of China?
Without over or under interpretation, maybe it just means “we take this, deal with it”
haha, could be! Basically the Chinese version of “why u hitting yourself?”
Lovers’ quarrels?
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Would it be fair to compare to WW2 Germany and Japan?
Xi and Putin, have hated each other for basically their entire times in power
Any sources for that? Because from what I’ve been reading, they actually have a pretty good relationship on a personal level. Xi once called Putin “best, most intimate friend”.
Thatsthejoke.jpg
The full map of the Russian-Chinese border appeared only 15 years ago. I mean, approved by both sides. Surprisingly that claims were limited to just one island. the neighboring island has already been given to China just at the signing of the border. if China asks hard, I think this one will be given.
Russia might just be China’s vassal state
Thats the plan.
Putin wanted a big win before an alliance to try to seem like an equal partner. Worked out about as well as when mussolini tried it in Ethiopia.
the transfer of the island does not make you a vassal. especially if before that you unilaterally selected an entire region. this piece of land was a free region even under the tsar. then Russia took it for itself, which of course China did not like under any pretext. and now, 100 years later, the border has been agreed, albeit at the cost of one or two islands.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Earlier this week, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times newspaper published the “2023 edition of China’s standard map,” crediting the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The map touches on multiple territorial disputes, among them Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, which sits at the confluence of the Ussuri and Amur rivers that separate Russia and China.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed any suggestion of reopening the territorial dispute, which she said had been settled by bilateral agreements more than 15 years ago.
“The Russian and Chinese sides adhere to the common position that the border issue between our countries has been finally resolved,” Zakharova said in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry website.
“Its settlement was marked by the ratification in 2005 of the Supplementary Agreement on the Russian-Chinese state border on its eastern part, according to which Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island was divided between the parties.”
“Russia and China have repeatedly confirmed the absence of mutual territorial claims, and there is a corresponding provision in the Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of July 16, 2001,” the spokesperson added
The original article contains 482 words, the summary contains 182 words. Saved 62%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Your TL;DR is too long so I didn’t read it.
Map was intended for people of China, isn’t it? And doesn’t change anything for rest of the world!
“Wait, why is there a passport control here? There’s no national border here on this map.”
