Putin Secretly Hands Over Part Of Russia's Border To China
- 20.06.2024, 8:00
An expert has revealed the consequences.
Russia will hand over the border river of Tumannaya to China to give Beijing access to the Sea of Japan.
Political analyst Vadim Denisenko told TSN exclusively why Putin quietly handed over part of Russia's territory to China while everyone was watching his visit to North Korea.
"We all talk about this treaty of comprehensive friendship, scaring a million Koreans, but in parallel we should understand that there was a very quiet transfer of part of the essentially Russian border to China. And China actually got direct access through the Russian-North Korean border to the Sea of Japan. Through the river, which is called in the Russian transcription 'Tumannaya'," the political scientist said.
The expert noted that now all of Putin's actions in the Far East should be viewed in terms of two things.
"The first is an attempt to find this or that hardware that will allow the war to continue. On the other hand, it is creating points of tension that would then allow to conduct other bargaining with the People's Republic of China, so as not to fall into even greater political dependence on China in the whole spectrum of issues," Denisenko explained.
The Moscow Times reports that the Tumannaya River, which flows along the border between China and North Korea and then the border between Russia and the DPRK, is located on lands that belonged to China by the mid-19th century. Now Chinese ships can only navigate the river to the village of Fanchuan and have no access to the lower course, a 15-kilometre stretch that allows access to the sea.
The transfer of the river was discussed during May talks in Beijing between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Nikkei noted. The official statement following the visit included a paragraph on Russian and Chinese participation in "constructive dialogue" with North Korea on the Tumannaya River. The passage of Chinese ships is obstructed by the "Friendship Bridge" erected on the border between Russia and the DPRK back in the Soviet era.
China is considering the possibility of expanding the Tumannaya River in its lower flow and demolishing the bridge. Previously, Russia did not support this Chinese initiative, fearing that Beijing would thus increase its influence in Northeast Asia. However, against the backdrop of sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is becoming increasingly dependent on the Chinese side.
At the same time, the Russian-Chinese negotiations on the Tumannaya River are causing concern in Japan.