Putin gave China one and a half islands: losses are being counted in the Far East. Russia gave the island to China Who owns the large Ussuri island

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The head of the State Duma Security Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, responded that the deputies were provided with fairly complete information on this matter, in particular, they received a transcript of Lavrov’s speech and a commentary on this speech
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The State Duma wants to hear from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for what purpose the Russian President signed documents in China on the gratuitous transfer of disputed islands to China: Tarabarova Island and half of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. The deputies decided to find out what price Russia paid for the Russian-Chinese agreements signed in China. Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to speak at the State Duma today as part of the “government hour”. The deputies suggested that he raise the Russian-Chinese issue.

The question was raised by a member of the Communist Party faction Anatoly Lokot, who said that it should be clarified “at what cost these agreements are concluded.”

The head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev, responded by saying that the deputies were provided with fairly complete information on this matter, in particular, they received a transcript of Lavrov’s speech and a commentary on this speech related to the agreements recently signed in China. The head of the committee emphasized that “the border demarcation took place in the middle of the disputed islands.” According to him, “there is no talk of unilateral concessions from the Russian side.” Kosachev said that “all those documents that were signed in China were endorsed by all the heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation - I emphasize, they were not just agreed upon.” As for the border delimitation agreement itself, it will go to the State Duma for ratification, Kosachev noted.

Putin gave China one and a half islands: losses are being counted in the Far East

Before the president made a broad gesture, the islands belonged to the Khabarovsk Territory. Its inhabitants were wary of the fact that their islands would now be inhabited by the Chinese.

The islands of Tarabarov and Bolshoi Ussuriysky have long been considered disputed territory. In 1991, USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev signed a border treaty with China, and the border was drawn along the Amur channel. Thus, China got its own, “Khabarovsk Kuril Islands” on the Amur.

Before Khabarovsk, along the Kazakevichev channel, there is the only undemarcated section on the Amur. From Khabarovsk to the border is not so much - 25 kilometers. Today. Now, after the transfer of the islands, the border will pass through the city itself, along its coastal line, and in its most developed and populated part - in the Industrial District.

The islands became disputed due to the long-term efforts of the Chinese side to change the course of the Amur River, which defines the state border line. “In recent years, the Chinese have built about three hundred kilometers of dams on their shore in order to artificially direct the Amur in the direction they want, to shallow the Kazakevichev channel, along the fairway of which the border is determined in this area,” says Viktor Ishaev, governor of the Khabarovsk Territory.

For many years now, Russian border posts and 16 thousand summer cottages for residents of Khabarovsk have been located on Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. The new border will pass near the chapel of the martyr-warrior Victor and will divide the island in half. The dachas of Khabarovsk residents will remain on Russian territory, the rest will go to the Chinese. Tarabarov Island, where there are only a few buildings of private companies, will be given to China in its entirety. In total, the Chinese will get approximately 337 square meters. kilometers of Russian territory.

The news about the transfer of the islands was unexpected for the authorities of the Khabarovsk Territory. According to a high-ranking official of the regional administration, no one consulted with the governor of the Khabarovsk Territory before signing the documents. “Governor Ishaev has not yet returned from China. He has been fighting for these islands for 12 years,” the official noted.

Governor Ishaev had his own plans for the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. It was this island that Khabarovsk was supposed to “step over”. For rapid development, the city only needed a capital bridge.

According to Far Eastern economists, the transfer of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarov islands to the PRC overnight caused damage of 3-4 billion dollars, taking into account the loss of already invested funds, the transfer of the Khabarovsk airport, as well as the development of the border in new areas. However, according to Moscow economists, after the transfer of the islands, opportunities opened up for Russia to conclude billion-dollar deals with China, so that possible profits will more than cover all losses.

The islands donated by Putin are rich in natural resources

The natural resources of the islands are rich and varied. Land resources are of significant value. Up to 70% of the area can be used as arable land, hayfields or pastures. However, on part of the area, due to economic activities (use of heavy equipment, depletion of meadows), the land has become less productive and requires agrotechnical measures. Floodplain lands, provided they are protected from flooding, are capable of producing high yields of potatoes, vegetables and forage grasses, writes Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

The islands are home to valuable fur-bearing animal species, ungulates, upland and waterfowl. There are species listed in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the USSR and Russia: Far Eastern and black storks, black and Japanese cranes, mandarin ducks, swan-nose turtles, Far Eastern leatherback turtles and others.

There is a lot of fish in the Amur, its channels and floodplain lakes. Among them, protected species are black carp and Chinese perch. More species of fish constantly live in the vicinity of the islands than in the entire Volga basin. The autumn migration of chum salmon and lamprey takes place near the islands.

The islands are of great recreational importance. Already, there are about 16 thousand garden plots here, which are visited by tens of thousands of city residents.

Modern economic development of the islands is uneven. Their eastern part, adjacent directly to the city, is more developed. On an area of 61 sq. km, a polder was built, protected from flooding by a closed high dam. More than 4 thousand tons of potatoes are grown here per year, up to 1,500 heads of cattle are kept in the summer, and up to 1,700 tons of milk are produced per year. There are projects to expand the polder area.

On an area of 168 sq. km, five agricultural enterprises harvest hay, annually collecting 12-13 thousand tons of hay. Currently, there are 10 farms on the islands, as well as several camp sites for a number of industrial enterprises in the city. There are two villages with permanent residents on Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island.

The first Russian-Chinese border agreement can be considered the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, when the Russians, under forceful pressure from Chinese troops, were forced to recognize Chinese sovereignty over the right bank of the Amur River (before that, it was also being developed by the Russians) and Primorye.

But in the middle of the 19th century, a strengthened Russia bloodlessly annexed 165.9 thousand square kilometers of Primorye, which until then had been under joint management. As a result, China, weak at that time, lost access to the Sea of Japan.

This acquisition was established by the Treaty of Tientsin on June 1, 1858, and confirmed on November 2, 1860 by the Treaty of Beijing. “After the establishment of boundary markers,” it said, “the boundary line should not be changed forever.”

However, it was soon noticed that the boundaries did not pass as established. They agreed to make changes, which was done (very approximately) in 1886.

When discussing the border issue in 1926, it was again noted: “The border line between the USSR and China has been repeatedly moved arbitrarily by both the local population and the local authorities of both sides. As a result of this, it is necessary first of all to restore the original line as it was determined by various agreements, protocols, etc. regarding the Russian-Chinese border."

During the occupation of China by Japan, the Soviet Union, in the interests of defense, brought under its control a large number of islands on the Chinese side of the fairway on the Amur and Ussuri, writes Ogonyok.

In 1964, the parties developed a draft agreement. Then a “window” appeared in the form of the Tarabarova and Bolshoy Ussuriysky islands. But the document was not signed, which is why later the Chinese considered it fair enough to attack Damansky Island, which they always considered theirs.

Ultimately, on May 16, 1991, an agreement was signed on the Soviet-Chinese border in its eastern part, which clarified the border on the basis of existing treaties. All subsequent Russian-Chinese agreements on the border were adopted in the development of this document.

After a series of honest and not entirely honest actions by both sides, the border was finally fixed along the Amur and Ussuri. The trouble is that it was not properly demarcated, but the main thing is that rivers quite often change the outlines of their banks, islands and fairways, which is why many purely geometric errors have accumulated in the course of border life. They were almost never corrected or even discussed - as long as China was weak or an ally of Russia, it was not considered a problem at all.

After Mikhail Gorbachev signed an agreement in 1991 that the border with China should pass along the Amur waterway, the Chinese had the opportunity to challenge Russia’s ownership of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarov islands in the Khabarovsk region.

The most intriguing thing is that the channel along which the border actually runs now is quickly being washed away (and not without the help of the Chinese, who once sank a barge here) and soon, instead of the disputed Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, a much less controversial peninsula will arise, fused with Chinese territory. At the same time, the Russian coast is eroded by a couple of meters every year, that is, it moves away.

After Vladimir Putin’s decision, the border between the countries will actually pass through Khabarovsk, right along the city beach. Plus, on Bolshoy Ussuriysky there is a border post with fortified structures, here are the hayfields of four collective farms that provide meat and milk for the whole of Khabarovsk - in a word, it is inconvenient and a pity to give it away.

In addition, there is also a problem near Vladivostok. Here the Chinese should get the territory along the left swampy bank of the Tumannaya River, and on this occasion there is a lot of talk about how nothing will stop them from building a port here and making it a competitor to Russian Far Eastern harbors.

The transfer of the islands was carried out in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement signed back in 2004, which was ratified by the State Duma in 2005. Everything went quite calmly and even solemnly: the state flags of Russia and China were raised, the border pillars of the states were dug in, representatives of the latter spoke, echoing each other: this act finally marks the end of the delimitation and demarcation of the Russian-Chinese border along its entire 4,300- kilometer long, which will help strengthen relations. The negotiation epic regarding the lands in the Amur channel lasted more than 40 years.

50 KILOMETERS INTO RUSSIA

Back in July, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement noting that “the entry into force of the relevant documents will give an additional impetus to the development of good neighborly ties between Russia and China, primarily the diverse cooperation of the border regions of the two countries.” It was planned to transfer the territories back in August, but, apparently, well-known events in the Caucasus interfered - they waited for relative calm.

At the mentioned ceremony, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Vladimir Malyshev, once again emphasized that the resolution of the border issue that Moscow and Beijing inherited from history “is based on existing Russian-Chinese border agreements and corresponds to generally recognized norms of international law.” This resolution of the issue “is the result of many years of negotiations in the spirit of equal consultations and embodies the high level and specificity of Russian-Chinese relations of strategic interaction and partnership.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gann spoke in the same spirit: “China and Russia resolved this issue as a result of fruitful cooperation, setting an example of peaceful dialogue and consultation to resolve sensitive issues between the two countries.” According to him, this cessation of the border dispute between Russia and China became an example of diplomatic resolution of complex international issues. What is true is true, if you remember the events on Damansky Island, the 40th anniversary of which will probably be celebrated in a certain way in Russia (and in China, which has “its own view” on them) in less than six months - in March 2009- th.

According to Vladimir Malyshev, border guards of both countries have already begun protecting the newly established state border, which “will become a strip of peace, friendship and cooperation between two great countries and peoples.” And the head of the Regional Border Directorate of the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Far Eastern Federal District, Colonel General Valery Putov, previously said that the border outpost, which was previously stationed on the islands, has been disbanded - instead, a border department has been deployed in the village of Nikolaevka in the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAO). In addition, there will be two border observation posts - one in the area of the settlement of Tamara-Orlovka (EAO), the second - on the Russian part of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. “It is these border units that will now monitor the new section of the Russian-Chinese border,” the general said.

By the time the territories were transferred to the Celestial Empire, the Fortified Region (UR) of the Far Eastern Military District, which was located on Bolshoy Ussuriysk, was also disbanded. The military removed all equipment and property. In the former town, only the buildings of barracks, headquarters, residential buildings, a canteen and a club remained. Once upon a time, this SD was created on an emergency basis to repel possible Chinese aggression on Khabarovsk. Now the pillboxes have been dismantled, the heavy Soviet Joseph Stalin tanks from World War II, which were not so long ago buried here up to their turrets, have been dug up and removed, and numerous observation towers have been dismantled.

HAY AND FISH...

In Russian society, the attitude towards the “final parting” with Tarabarov is ambiguous. Many local residents do not see “anything good” in this, just as a number of representatives of regional authorities and functionaries of some parties do not have “positive feelings” about the loss of territories. However, their activity since 2004, when the corresponding decision was made, has been amazing. Basically just calls: “We won’t give!”, “Hands off our islands!”, “Let’s write to the Duma.” And against this background, many local politicians openly promoted themselves, gaining points in the elections held in the region during these years.

These days, the local press once again remembered the poem by local resident Tatyana Dyachikhina, which appeared in leaflets in 2004: “My homeland was taken away from me!/Someone just decided so:/Like a forgotten melody,/Took it and gave it as a gift./Well, just think - a trifle! / But who needs it? / Oil and gas? No, it’s not available: / It’s just marshy land...”

Tarabarov will henceforth be designated on maps as Yinlundao (translated as “Silver Dragon Island”), and the western part of Greater Ussuriysk will be designated as Heixiazidao (“Black Bear Island”; its eastern area remains with Russia). It’s beautiful, of course, in translation! But still, this is by no means the case when in the 70s, that is, shortly after the armed conflicts in Damansky and in the area of Lake Zhalanashkol, a number of settlements and other geographical objects with Chinese names were renamed in the Primorsky Territory. For example, the city of Iman, where many border guards who died in the battles on Ussuri are buried, became Dalnerechensky, Suchan - Partizansky, the small rivers Shinengou and Sitsa received the names Vodopadnaya and Tigrovaya, respectively.

Tarabarov was never Chinese. This relatively large island (there are many other islands and islets around it), located at the confluence of the Ussuri River and the Amur, received its name in the second decade of the last century, when in 1912 the peasant Sergei Maksimovich Tarabarov settled on it and started a farm here. According to reports in the Far Eastern press, as soon as the authorities decided that it was more profitable to get rid of the island than to defend the principle “We don’t need someone else’s land, but we won’t give up an inch of ours!”, the Tarabarovs suddenly disappeared from the Khabarovsk Territory: who left “in an unknown direction” , who died. Tarabarov was officially assigned to the Soviet Union in 1929. But in 1964, Beijing unilaterally decided to reconsider these “unfair” agreements. From then on, the negotiation process began.

What are the given “one and a half islands”? According to the testimony of local residents and eyewitnesses who visited them, this is a pontoon bridge over the Amur, an open field, feather grass, a dirt road that becomes limp in the rain (indeed, “marsh land”, as in the above excerpt from the poem). The islands are rich only in hay (there were state farm lands here) and fish. A special feature is that valuable species spawn near Tarabarov.

The director of the local agricultural enterprise "Zarya" Leonid Petukhov complained: "We grew the best corn in the region here. Now almost everything we had - 1.3 thousand hectares of excellent land - goes to the Chinese."

On the Russian part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk there is the village of Chumka with several hundred inhabitants (in 2004 there were 412) and numerous dachas (dachas) of Khabarovsk residents. Chumka is such a shabby Russian outback! Several five-story buildings (all without amenities), a nine-year school, a first-aid post, two shops. All! There isn't even a bathhouse. And the bakeries (burnt down) - the residents bake their own bread. Electricity keeps disappearing. In spring and autumn, if the ice on the Amur is too thin, any connection “with the mainland” completely stops. Local historians say that in the 20s, livestock that died from disease were buried here, hence the name of the settlement. “Almost matches,” they joke.

The villagers’ opinions on the transfer of territories vary widely: from “it’s a pity, of course, that they gave it away, but it’s not up to us to decide” to “the whole island should have been given to China.” As one newspaper wrote, “sometimes this ‘Russian-Chinese’ border runs right through families.” Some - even before the transfer of territory - were ready to “defend their native land even on the barricades”; others, especially those who were younger, reasoned pragmatically: let the Chinese take the entire Greater Ussuriysk, if only the people could get out of the swamp and settle in good city apartments! According to the authors of the publication, almost everyone here dreams of escaping from the Russian island: there is no running water or sewerage system, roofs are leaking, people are drinking themselves to death, and people are not happy about the proximity to China. Except that sometimes they look at the city sparkling with neon illumination, filled with goods and cars, which the Chinese built on their shores.

The Orthodox chapel of the holy warrior Victor also remains on the Russian part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk. It was specially built on the border in the late 90s to indicate the Russian presence. Previously, a new dividing line was supposed to pass along its porch, but during field delimitation work the “temple” was moved further. Moreover, the issue was resolved only after Russia undertook to hand over both border outposts on Tarabarov to China intact.

BUT WE WILL NOT GIVE UP THE SMOKES!

By the way, from this “insignificant” example it is clear that Russia gave up an island and half an island, of course, not like a certain “Tsar” house manager Ivan Vasilyevich in the well-known comedy. Remember: “Kemsk volost? Lord, I thought, let them take it for their health!” It was necessary to ensure that Beijing, as they say, did not lose its appetite, because it is known that beyond the Amur and Ussuri, a considerable part of the Russian Far East is considered “Chinese” and, for example, Vladivostok is called Haishenwei on the maps of “expanded” China. According to some reports, during the demarcation, Moscow and Beijing “exchanged” islands: the Chinese, having received territories in the Khabarovsk Territory, renounced their claims to Bolshoy Island in the Chita Region.

In general, the process took a long time. The authorities did not hide: yes, we are inclined to give away the territories, but we are carefully studying all the pros and cons. In addition, the “Japanese factor” was taken into account: as is known, Tokyo has long laid claim to the Kuril Islands and half of Sakhalin (or even the entire island!). It was necessary to arrange the matter in such a way that a “precedent” did not arise. Looks like it worked.

Most experts are inclined to believe that Russia, having weighed and assessed the prospects for developing relations with the PRC, acted quite wisely. As a result, the long-standing territorial dispute with China has been ended, which will undoubtedly ensure much greater trust in contacts with the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, in the opinion of, say, the ex-governor of the Amur region, Vladimir Polivanov, “these islands are not of super-principal importance - they are not the South Kuril ridge: if we gave it to Japan, we would lose the Sea of Okhotsk and the super-rich fisheries reserves of the shelf.” Polivanov is convinced that Russia, having given up Tarabarov and part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk, did not suffer serious economic and territorial losses, but it finally resolved the issue of the border with the country, which today is “the most powerful state in the world, while America is weaker than ever.”

The current governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Viktor Ishaev, is also convinced that “from an economic point of view, we have lost nothing.”

At a recent regular discussion of the Stolypin Club (operating in Russia since 2006), which the author of these lines had a chance to observe, economists, political scientists and businessmen expressed similar points of view. Briefly, they can be summarized as follows: China is growing stronger year by year economically, technologically, politically and militarily, which will allow it to “move” the United States from the pedestal of the sole arbiter of the world order in 15-20 years. And in this situation, being a long-time strategic partner of the Celestial Empire, Russia will undoubtedly receive tangible advantages. In the event of friction with China, Washington will try in every possible way to drive an even deeper wedge between the two large neighboring powers.

Meanwhile, the future of the territories that have received new statuses is still illusory. But in the Khabarovsk Territory, the idea has already matured to create a Russian-Chinese trade zone on the Bolshoy Ussuriysk: on the eve of the transfer of land, the governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Viktor Ishaev, approached Moscow and Beijing with such an initiative.

A year ago, a certain representative of the Cossacks, Sergei Goncharov, whose people were on duty in the abandoned SD, expressed the hope that “as soon as the islands officially become Chinese, the most convenient customs crossing will open here.” They say that the infrastructure for it already exists: customs officers and border guards can be accommodated in officers’ houses and barracks, and warehouses can be located in the former hospital and club. But no one is talking about the construction of customs terminals on Bolshoy Ussuriysky these days.

As for the Chinese, they have long since begun to settle in these territories. The transfer to the ownership of the People's Republic of China of fields and hayfields, which had been used by the local state farm for decades, is evidenced by a granite pillar with hieroglyphs: these lands belong to Zhongguo (the Middle State). This and 10 other border signs with hieroglyphs appeared on the islands last summer - immediately after the demarcation of the new border was completed. The pillars stretched out in a line across the Big Ussuri Island from the channel to the main channel of the Amur.

On Bolshoy Ussuriysky, as local residents remember, neighbors from across the Amur began to appear five years ago. In groups of 20-30 people, they disembarked from the ships and inspected the island “departing” to them in a businesslike manner. As observers note, all the future owners of Russian soil were, although in civilian clothes, with a clearly military bearing.

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Before the president made a broad gesture, the islands belonged to the Khabarovsk Territory. Its inhabitants were wary of the fact that their islands would now be inhabited by the Chinese.

Governor Ishaev had his own plans for the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. It was this island that Khabarovsk was supposed to “step over”. For rapid development, the city only needed a capital bridge.

The islands donated by Putin are rich in natural resources

The islands are of great recreational importance. Already, there are about 16 thousand garden plots here, which are visited by tens of thousands of city residents.

However, it was soon noticed that the boundaries did not pass as established. They agreed to make changes, which was done (very approximately) in 1886.

For the existence of any organized society, a certain territory is necessary. Moreover, the safety and functioning of these lands must be regulated by state acts. But this, as history shows, is clearly not enough. The security and integrity of the country can only be ensured if its borders are clearly defined and recognized by representatives of the entire world community. That is why territorial disputes remain one of the most important issues in the foreign policy of every state.

Great powers such as Russia and China are no exception. Initially, between them lay vast desert or sparsely populated territories. The northern border of the Celestial Empire was. Today it stands far from the current border. Moreover, the distance is more than a thousand kilometers. Of course, that was a very long time ago. Then the Chinese could not even think that the Amur River on the map would become the watershed line between their state and Russia. After all, in those days these territories were the homeland of the warlike Manchus. And these people were ethnically far from the Han Chinese - the indigenous Chinese.

The longest border in the world

History has made its own adjustments, and today we can state that Russia and China are two empires that entered the twentieth century as two neighboring countries. The official border between them has existed for more than one hundred and thirty years. In 1860, the Beijing Treaty was signed, in which “from now on and forever” the border between the two states was fixed.

Russia and China are two states whose borders are the longest in the world. This is a line of ten thousand kilometers. It starts from the point of the borders of Russia, China and Afghanistan and ends at the point where Russia, China and Korea neighbor.

Border demarcation

The agreements of the 19th century Beijing Agreement have undergone some changes these days. They were revised, that is, the borders were demarcated. This term means clarification of the existing boundaries of the two states. The reason for this may be changes in river beds, soil layers, etc. However, the demarcation of the Russian-Chinese border occurred due to the revision and revision of the already existing dividing line.

This work was only partly caused by natural phenomena. Thus, in the 130 years that have passed since the signing of the Beijing Treaty, the Tumannaya River has changed its course. She began to carry her waters across the territory of Russia. In addition, documentary inaccuracies were revealed in fixing the border markers of both one and the second state.

Eastern part of the border

The borders that Russia and China have between themselves are divided into two zones. The eastern part of the state border begins from the line of their neighborhood with Mongolia. The length of these boundaries is more than four thousand kilometers.

Despite the Beijing agreements of 1860, the border issue between the two countries was raised more than once. The dividing line between China and Russia has been repeatedly moved by local authorities and the population of both states. That is why there was a need to restore the borders as they were fixed when signing various agreements.

Neighborhood history

Almost along its entire length, the eastern border between the two great powers passed and passes today where the Amur River is located on the map, as well as where the Argun and Ussuri rivers flow. However, until 1992, this dividing line was not demarcated accordingly. Until 1931 they had a free navigation regime. Water resources of both states moved freely along their channels. In addition, numerous uninhabited river islands were practically jointly owned.

Everything changed after the start of Japanese aggression directed against China, as well as after the creation of the puppet state of Manchukuo. For the Soviet Union, this was a clear security threat. That is why our state had to establish strict control over the river territory. At first, this decision did not raise any objections from China. But since the 60s of the last century, tensions began to grow between our countries. That is why Soviet control over the water areas of the border rivers became the main source of incidents.

Disputed territories

During negotiations between the USSR and China, issues of sovereignty of several areas were discussed for a long time. The first of these were two territories in the Chita region. This is a fairly large island located forty kilometers southeast of the city of Zabaikalsk. Its significance for Russia is enormous. The island connects our country with China and Mongolia. In addition, this site is the main source of drinking water for the population of the city of Krasnokamensk, on whose territory almost 90 percent of uranium was produced.

The second disputed area, located in the Chita region, is Menkeseli Island. It became the subject of controversy after the Argun changed its course, turning its bed 5 km to the north.

There were also disputes between Russia and China over two sites in the Khabarovsk Territory. The first of them is Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. The territory is located directly near Khabarovsk - the largest city in Russia in the Far East.

Tarabarova Island also caused controversy. It is located near Khabarovsk. This island has a significant area. In addition, there are a large number of other islets and islands around it. Many of them are located where the Amur flows. Tarabarova Island got its name more than a hundred years ago. Then, in 1912, a hardworking peasant settled on its territory with his family and started a farm there. His name was Sergei Maksimovich Tarabarov. The island was officially assigned to the Soviet Union in 1929. Bolshoy Ussuriysky is located between the city and it.

Three territories in the Primorsky region are also sources of border incidents. This is the area:

near Lake Khanka;
P-shaped near Poltavka.

The third territory consists of two small strips of land located north of Lake Khasan.

All of the above zones are important for Russia economically. That is why they were initially under her direct control. In addition, Tarabarova Island and significant territories of Bolshoy Ussuriysk are located in close proximity to Khabarovsk, and therefore are its defense in the event of an armed attack.

Making final decisions

In 1991, agreements were signed between the PRC and the Russian Federation, finalizing the eastern section of the border. And a year later, demarcation work began on this territory. As a result, the border between the two great powers became clearly marked on the ground. All work was carried out with the participation of a specially created demarcation commission, which included representatives of both states.

For the first time in history, from the borders with Mongolia to the river. 1184 border posts were placed in Tumannaya. The distance between them is 1.5-3 km, and in a number of places with difficult terrain - 300-500 m. In addition, several hundred kilometers of clearings were cut, and a large number of outdated engineering structures were dismantled. Demarcation works also affected river areas. A large volume of hydrographic measurements was carried out on the border areas of the Amur and Ussuri, and buoys were installed on the equator of Lake Khanka.

Demarcation work turned out to be not only labor-intensive, but also a very complex process. Thus, local Russian residents of the island of China, located on the border, considered it to be primordially Russian territory. After all, they used these lands for their economic purposes. Nevertheless, all work was carried out in accordance with the agreements signed between the two countries. The successful resolution of the issues was a great contribution to strengthening friendship between Russia and China, as well as strengthening stability in the region.

Completion of demarcation

An important event in the history of relations between Russia and China occurred in the fall of 2004. On October 14, another agreement on the passage of the eastern borders was signed in Beijing. It marked the end of territorial disputes between the two countries.

According to the signed agreement, Tarabarova Island and part of the Bolshoi Ussuri Island were transferred to China.

History of the controversial issue

Russia and China have not been able to decide who owns Tarabarova Island and part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk since 1964. It was then that a territorial dispute began between the two great powers, which was never fully resolved.

In order to get both one and the other, the Chinese started an irrigation war against the USSR. It consisted of regular flooding of barges with sand in the Kazakevichev channel. The purpose of such work was to direct the channel to the islands and connect it with the Chinese coast. In this case, the islands of Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarova would automatically be on the territory of the Middle Kingdom. But this idea was a failure, since the Russians constantly deepened the bottom of the Amur and strengthened its banks. And only the 2004 agreement put an end to the long irrigation war.

What did China get?

According to the signed agreements, Russia transferred Tarabarova Island to the neighboring state. The western part of Greater Ussuriysk was also given to China (it was divided approximately equally). Today, these territories are the province of Heilongjiang.

Where is the current border? After part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk, as well as Tarabarov Island, was given to China, the border between the two countries began to pass along the coastal part of Khabarovsk. Moreover, the dachas of local residents located on Bolshoy Ussuriysky remained on the Russian side. The rest went to the Chinese. In total, Russia gave the neighboring state 337 square kilometers of its territory.

What changed after the transfer of territory?

Today Fr. Tarabarova and part of Bolshoy Ussuriysk are islands of China. The neighboring state has become closer to Khabarovsk by fifty kilometers. Previously, Bolshoi Ussuriysky defended Russia from military attack. There was a fortified area on its territory. Today, the military has left all engineering structures and moved to a new outpost.

The main attraction of Bolshoy Ussuriysk is the Orthodox chapel, erected in honor of the Chinese. They treated our religious shrine with understanding and moved the border line away from the temple.

Today, the territories ceded by Russia, according to the 2004 agreement, are the Heilongjiang province of Fuyuan County. Russian islands of Tarabarova and Bolshoy Ussuriysky - about. Inpundao and Fr. Heixiangzidao.

From the south to the north, a main highway has already been built on these lands. Along its western side, active construction of the “Easternmost Pagoda” is underway. It is a multi-story tower reaching a height of 81 m and having a square shape. Its architecture is made in the style of the Tang and Han dynasties. The pagoda, which will stand just opposite the Chapel of St. Victor, will act as a vivid symbol of the territory acquired by China. The tower is so high that it can be seen from a Russian village located in the Amur floodplain.

It is also worth mentioning that the easternmost point of China has changed its geographical position. Previously, it was located in Wusu Village, and has now moved to Heixiangzi Island. As a result, the Chinese began to greet the rising sun fifty-eight seconds earlier.

The islands are actively visited by tourists from both countries. For example, in 2015 the number of travelers was about half a million.

Natural resources of the transferred territories

Tarabarova Island, like Bolshoy Ussuriysky, has rich lands. Up to seventy percent of their areas can be used as pastures, hayfields and arable land. In addition, the islands are home to fur-bearing animals, as well as ungulates and waterfowl. There are species on these lands that are listed in the Red Books of the USSR, Russia and the International Union. Their list includes: Japanese and black cranes, black storks, swan-nose, mandarin duck, Far Eastern leatherback turtle, etc.

Floodplain lakes, as well as the waters of the Amur River and its channels are rich in fish. Protected species are also found here. The autumn chum salmon and lampreys make their migratory movements around the islands.

Yes, rich lands were transferred to China. However, the Russian side believes that it has not suffered significant losses economically. Our country has big plans. They involve the creation of a joint Russian-Chinese trade zone in these territories. This will provide normal conditions for trade turnover between Heilongjiang Province and Khabarovsk Territory. And today, the federal budget has already begun to provide the funding necessary for the construction of a bridge from Khabarovsk to Heixiangzi Island.

In 2004, indeed, by decision of the Kremlin, territories near Khabarovsk with a total area of more than 300 square kilometers were transferred to China. These territories are islands on the Amur.

You can find a ton of references in a clearly accusing tone: “Putin took and gave China islands.”

Putin, Putin, Putin, Putin, Putin, Putin, sold, squandered, sold Mother Rus', donated it, well, it started, well, now it will begin, well, here we go. 13 years have passed, the rewriting of history is in full swing.

The situation, however, is simpler.

These islands have been in the disputed status of “it is not clear whose” for hundreds of years, some kind of beginning of legal relations can be considered approximately from the Treaty of Nerchinsk, this is the year 1689.

In 1924, the USSR government was trying to somehow settle the situation with the territories, and signed a paper with representatives of the border provinces (Heilongjiang) stating that it was PLANNED to carry out demarcation. After which everyone gives up on it and everything goes on as it goes.

In 1926, the issue was returned to, because local residents began a chaotic squatter - despite the fact that the Chinese were on the left bank of the Amur, and the Russians were on the right. They come to the conclusion that they need to somehow stop the mess. At this point there is silence again.

Further, during the war with Japan in the 1940s, the USSR voluntarily occupied part of Chinese territories - including a number of islands on the Amur. For the simple reason that China combined the war with Japan with a civil one, and the USSR received carte blanche to act to resolve the Japanese issue. The issue, as we know, is being successfully resolved.

After which peacetime begins, and the question, postponed since the 20s, arises that demarcation should be carried out.

Only now it is complicated by the fact that the Soviet army occupied another part of the territory. Of course, it’s a war, but formalizing “we recaptured territory from an ally” is, to put it mildly, not an option.

It’s one thing to recapture islands from Japan, everything is clear here, they’ve recaptured them. But it is impossible to conquer from China during the war on the Chinese side.

The situation comes to some kind of resolution in 1964. A document is drawn up in which it is agreed to take the current situation (“on the Amur”) as a starting point, but it is not possible to agree on a number of issues on the details of the delimitation. One of the points, as in any agreement about the “border along the river”, is “whose each specific island will be.”

At that time, Khrushchev was already in the USSR, relations with China, thanks to the indescribable intelligence and political wisdom of this ruler, were bad, and it was obvious that China was resting its horn in order to “bend demonstratively.” Under Joseph, the situation looked a little different; Comrade Mao sat in the waiting room while the Minister of Agriculture reported, and humbly waited.

The further situation is known - in the interim, the territorial issue escalated to the point that the Chinese conducted beta testing of the Grad installation (then new and secret), using PLA personnel as a resource, which was then counted mainly by belt buckles and seals.

On this day, Gorbachev signs a document stating that the border with China should pass along the fairway of the Amur River. For the first time, the Chinese have an official and legal opportunity to challenge Russia’s ownership of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarov islands.

Once again - before this, the question of “whose” had not been fixed at all for centuries. Gorbachev signs an official binding document on behalf of the USSR, according to which all disputed territories are automatically transferred to China. Without any haggling at all. Nothing was negotiated from the PRC - just “take the Kemsk volost, you bastards.”

Russia, as the legal successor of the USSR, receives this treaty by inheritance.

In December 1992, at the Russian-Chinese summit, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the governments of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on the issues of mutual reduction of armed forces and strengthening confidence in the military field in the border area. Article 12 of the adopted joint declaration - “The parties will continue negotiations on the not yet agreed sections of the border between the Russian Federation and the PRC on the basis of agreements on the current Russian-Chinese border in accordance with generally accepted norms of international law, in the spirit of equal consultations, mutual understanding and mutual compliance in order to resolve border issues fairly and rationally."

Borya gives up approximately 600 (!!!) small and not particularly small islands on the Amur and Ussuri rivers, and another approximately 11 square kilometers of land, and moreover, lays the foundation for further claims. China sees that Borya is a plush and weak fool, so “since he’s lying there, why not take him?”

Another approximately 15 square kilometers are lost during the demarcation of the border in 1995 - again, Boris Nikolayevich arranges monstrous corruption in the regions, so it is obvious that the Chinese bring specific people who actually carry out the demarcation, and the border is fixed “at the most beneficial to China” reference points .

Against the backdrop of all this, China is quietly creating a sandbank so that the channel between China and two disputed islands near Khabarovsk becomes decorative, after which one can turn to the agreement already signed with Gorbachev and say “well, now let’s, as agreed, set the border along the fairway.” All this is happening, Borya is lying blue, no measures are being taken at all.

Well, now gather around, I will announce the conclusion that is drawn from all this - “Putin is squandering the land, under Putin they gave the land to China, Putin gave it away.”

Putin has just completed all these processes, completely closing territorial claims and demarcating the border. And completing the process of transferring what Gorbachev signed. Something that could no longer be refused due to the terms of the signed and valid agreement.

So you will see a fairy tale about “Putin giving away lands” - remind the speaker who actually signed and gave what.

And here's some additional material.

Often, when asked about China’s territorial claims, they refer to Mao’s quote with the general meaning “Russia took one and a half million square kilometers from us and we will return them.”

I will give a piece of scientific work by Li Danhui and S.N. Goncharov on this topic:

Mao Zedong:“Didn’t he talk about a peaceful solution to the border issue? (General laughter). We have now launched an offensive and are saying some empty words. We say that the government of Tsarist Russia cut off 1 million 500 thousand square kilometers from us, that during the Yalta Conference they cut off Outer Mongolia (1 million 540 thousand square kilometers) behind China’s back. But there is also Tannu-Uriankhai. Without any agreement, they hastily turned it into an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. Do we want to demand the return of these areas? We don’t even think of demanding this, we only utter empty words. The goal was to bring them into a tense state and thereby achieve a relatively rational border treaty. This is a secret, pay attention to this.

Mao Zedong:“.We say some empty words, we fire some blank shots. By speaking empty words, we sought to be on the offensive at the border negotiations. The goal was to achieve a rational situation on the border, the conclusion of a border treaty. Perhaps you think that we really want to return 1 million 540 thousand square kilometers of land seized by the kings. We don't want this at all. This is called firing blank shots, bringing them into tension. This is the meaning here. Khrushchev is such a person that if you don’t fire a few blank shots at him, he will feel unwell

Mao Zedong: We want Khrushchev to jump several “zhangs” up from the ground. This is a secret; now this document has not yet been fully prepared. However, in fact, we don’t need 1 million 540 thousand square kilometers, and we don’t need more than 100 thousand square kilometers in Tannu-Uriankhai...”

It seems that these quotes do not require any special explanation and allow us to understand very clearly how to evaluate and interpret the notorious statements of Mao Zedong of July 10, 1964. The most important thing: Mao did not mean to make any territorial claims to the USSR or “to make historical accounts."

Further, Deng Xiaoping rightly proceeded from the fact that the statement made by Mao Zedong on July 10, 1964 about the “not yet presented account” of one and a half million square kilometers is well known in China and the world. Other statements that revealed the true meaning of Mao Zedong’s position were known only to the narrowest circle of top leaders of the PRC.

Under these conditions, Deng, in a manner understandable to the Chinese reader, declared that he had already “presented” the historical account that Mao considered “outstanding,” and therefore forever closed this historical stage, annulled everything said on July 10, 1964.

It was precisely based on this understanding of the problem that Jiang Zemin had every reason to sign the Treaty, which contained the thesis of the absence of mutual territorial claims.

Well, as you can see, the situation is with the classic “ripping out quotes from their context.” Because in such a presentation, everything looks completely different than “Mao said that China is definitely about to take back its ancestral Siberian lands.”

Ruslan Karmanov