China has been reclaiming territory occupied by other countries since the founding of the People's Republic of China, but in 1994, China ceded a vast territory to Russia. Do you know where this territory is located?Is it possible to reclaim this territory against the backdrop of China's growing power?
A great regret for the territory of China.
This territory is not known as the Outer Northeast, but is located in the Tangnu-Uliang Sea between Russia and Mongolia. Most of the area is now part of the Russian Republic of Tuva, which was once an important gathering place for ancient Chinese nomads, and was ruled by Xianbei and Turkic forces. During the Tang Dynasty, Tangnu Wulianghai was officially included in the Chinese territory.
Located in southern Siberia, the region stretches from the Sayan Mountains to the north to the Tangnuura Mountains in the south, and is a basin surrounded by high mountains. It is about 630 kilometers long from east to west, 420 kilometers wide from north to south, and has an area of about 16860,000 square kilometers. During the Qing Dynasty, it was part of Outer Mongolia, and in addition to the present-day Republic of Tuva, the Tangnu-Ulianghai included the northeastern part of the Russian Altai Republic, the southeastern part of the Altai Territory, the southern part of the Republic of Khakassia and the Kemerovo Oblast, and most of the Kuvsgul Province within Mongolia. During the Qing Dynasty, the region was under clear rule and was under the jurisdiction of the Khalkha Mongol Zasaktu Khan and the Tohuit chieftains.
However, in the early 17th century, Tsarist Russia began to expand eastward, trying to bring it into Russia's sphere of influence by sending envoys several times to put pressure on Tangnu Ulianghai. During the Kangxi period, the Qing Dynasty signed the Treaty of Nebuchu with Tsarist Russia, formally establishing the eastern boundary, but the boundary between the central and western sections had not yet been determined, leaving an opportunity for Tsarist Russia. Taking advantage of the sparse borders and weak border defenses of the Qing Dynasty, Tsarist Russia continued to advance southward, establishing outposts in an attempt to expand its influence.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the Qing court faced internal and external troubles, and its control over the border was insufficient. After the defeat of the Second Opium War in 1860, Tsarist Russia forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the Treaty of Beijing, which ceded the territory of the Outer Northeast and used Karen as the demarcation, resulting in the blurring of the western border between China and Russia. In 1864, on this ground, Tsarist Russia forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the Sino-Russian Treaty on the Survey and Demarcation of the Northwest Boundary, which transferred a large area of territory northwest of the Tangnu-Uliang Sea to Russia. Since then, Tsarist Russia has continued to sign a number of treaties, which have further weakened the ties between Tangnu and China. With the independence of Outer Mongolia from China, Tangnu Ulianghai became a protectorate of Tsarist Russia in 1914.
In 1917, there was a drastic change in Tsarist Russia, and ** took the opportunity to recover Tangnu-Ulianghai, but three years later, the Soviet Union began to support the independence of Tangnu-Ulianghai and established diplomatic relations. In 1944, Donnu Ulianghai took the initiative to request to be included in the Soviet Union and officially became part of the Soviet Union. However, China has never recognized the question of the ownership of Tangnu Ulianghai, and in 1948 **strongly** stated that Tangnu Ulianghai would always belong to China.
Why did China assign the Tangnu-Ulianghai to Russia?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the question of the ownership of the Donu-Ulianghai remained unresolved, but formally it was included in the territory of Russia and renamed the Republic of Tuva.
In 1994, China and Russia formally signed the Western Sector Boundary Agreement, stipulating that the junction of the western section of China and Russia is the 4,104-meter high ground on the summit of Kuitun Mountain in the Altai Mountains, and the boundary line is demarcated along the Altai Mountain watershed. This agreement confirms the full annexation of the Donnu-Ulianghai to Russia as part of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
At that time, China was facing a severe external situation and urgently needed to determine its borders with neighboring countries, which was in the long-term interests of development. However, since the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Tangnu Ulianghai has been infiltrated and assimilated by Tsarist Russia, and has lost its sense of belonging and identity to China. Under these circumstances, it is no longer possible for China to regain this territory, especially when the newly independent Russia needs to reorganize and restore its economy. If China insists on taking it back, it may provoke revolt among the Russian people and be detrimental to Sino-Russian relations. In addition, there is still an independent Mongolian state between China and the Tangnu-Ulianghai Sea, and the future management is also a major problem. After considering all these aspects, China finally decided to assign this territory to Russia.
The possibility of China taking back the Tangnu-Ulianghai.
At present, China's influence and status in the international community have been significantly enhanced, and it has a certain right to speak in the international arena. Therefore, some people have raised the question of whether China should recover the lost territory and make up for the regrets of history. For example, through purchase or negotiation, etc., to regain Tangnu Ulianghai.
However, since the border between China and Russia has been formalized, there is no territorial dispute between the two countries. If China forcibly takes back the Tangnu-Ulianghai, it may create unnecessary differences and contradictions, especially in the current new realm of Sino-Russian relations, and any factor that interferes with the relationship between the two sides is not favorable. In addition, since 1994, Tuvans have developed a sense of belonging to Russia, and it has been 30 years for them to fully accept their Russian identity. Therefore, it is no longer possible for them to secede from Russia and choose to belong to China.