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Russian secret service denies as 'nonsense' a claim that 5 square km ceded to China

By The Siberian Times reporter
09 November 2015

Stories in the pro-government Chinese media are deleted after mysterious claim of territory giveaway.

Russian-Chinese border near Ussuriysk. Picture: @funnyshots

Bizarre reports that Russia had given away a parcel of 4.7km of land to China brought a swift reaction from the FSB and the customs service. 'There was no such thing, it's nonsense. The border has absolutely not been moved,' said a border guard official from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Primorsky region. There was a similar denial from the Far Eastern directorate of the Customs Service

Earlier, official newspapers China Daily and Global Times claimed that land some 60km from Ussuriysk was passed to China in 1993, but only now were border signs erected. The land is said to cover part of the River Khubutu, and Russia and China were said to be discussing a new port on the river. The web reports by these English-language publications in China appear to have been blocked in the wake of Russian denials.

Border mark

Border stone on the Russian-Chinese border near Ussuriysk. Picture: Panoramio

Earlier it was claimed by China Daily that the land in question was among territory ceded by China to Russia by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) after its defeat in the Second Opium War.

Global Times called the opening ceremony of the new border line and negotiations for the construction of a cargo port the consequence of an unprecedented flowering of Russian-Chinese relations. 

Professor of Russian Studies of the Chinese University of Foreign Affairs, Gao Fei, commented: 'The erection of boundary stones showed that mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries has improved significantly.'

However, with a 4,209 km border frontier between the two countries, any re-opening of past land disputes is likely to be fraught with problems.

Comments (4)

Lazar, I agree, Putin is a "Good for Nothing" so & so.
Jaker, Dundalk
11/11/2015 00:39
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0
;Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand, divider will be defeated just wait and see, everyone has been tested and most proved themself to be unworthy or good for nothing good.
Lazar, Moscow
10/11/2015 05:41
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Jaker, China is not going to start war with Russia. Nobody likes to get nuked :)
Someone, Somewhere
11/11/2015 08:01
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(China) This land is our land...oh...(Russia) no,no,no...this land is our land
(China) But you made a deal...Russia) no,no,no...(that deal wasn't for real
(China) Well, this land is our land (Russia) well now, how is it your land?
(China) Well we both agreed in 1993 that this land is China's land
(Russia) Well did we now? 'cause that logic to us is very underhand
(China) Are you calling us liars? Do you want to start a political fire?
For remember we're not Ukraine...so don't you rise our Chinese ire

(China) This land is our land, (Russia)...okay,okay, okay...this land is your land.
Jaker, Dundalk
10/11/2015 02:22
0
3
1

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