China Discusses Possible Redistribution Of Russian Territories

Putin may lose the Far East.

Against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing economic difficulties and the protracted war in Ukraine, discussions about territories have once again intensified in the Chinese media space. Chinese nationalists are urging Beijing to be ready for a "major territorial acquisition" in case of Russia's political or economic collapse, the Daily Express writes (translated by Charter97.org).

The issue is the Russian Far East, a region of about 7 million square kilometers rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds and oil. Yet only about 8 million people live in this territory, making it one of the least populated parts of the country. By comparison, Russia as a whole has a population of about 143.5 million.

In Chinese nationalist circles, the Far East has long been seen as "historically Chinese land." The argument cites the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, signed under pressure from the Russian Empire, which forced China to cede significant territories in Manchuria.

Despite the outward warming of relations between Moscow and Beijing after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, territorial tensions persist. In August 2023, China's Ministry of Natural Resources caused a diplomatic scandal by publishing a map on which Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island was marked as Chinese territory, contrary to a bilateral agreement on its division.

A new round of discussions was sparked by an article on the NetEase platform, where the author claims that Russia's economy has been weakened, its main military forces have been moved to the west, and less than 50,000 troops remain in the Far East. In his opinion, in the event of the collapse of the Russian state, China should prepare in advance to establish control over the resource region.

Official Beijing has not made such statements, but the activity of nationalist commentators emphasizes the latent tension in Russian-Chinese relations.

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