China has published a map that appears to revise its territorial borders to lay claim to large swathes of territory owned by its neighbors, including the island of Bolshoy Ussuriysky, part of which is in Russia.
The "China Standard Map Edition 2023" issued by China's Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday includes Russian and Indian territory, all of Taiwan, and Malaysia's maritime areas near the island of Borneo.
The Kremlin hasn't commented on the map's release.
Border disputes have been a major source of animosity between China and Russia. The two nations have disputed ownership of Bolshoi Ussuriysky (known as Heixiazi, or Black Bear, in Chinese) for years, with both nations coming to an agreement in 2004 on the matter after almost four decades of talks.
As part of that historic agreement, Russia handed over Tarabarov (Yinlong) and part of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, with China agreeing not to claim more territory from Russia.
In a comment to Russia's ambassador in China in 2005, Putin hailed the deal as laying a "solid foundation for long-term historic prospects." The settlement paved the way for the two countries to strengthen and improve bilateral strategic relations.
Bolshoi Ussuriysky sits at the confluence of two border rivers—the Ussuri and Amur—and ownership is legally shared between Russia and China. The border demarcation was completed in 2008, with the two nations dividing the island roughly in half. Russia handed over 170 of the island's 350 square kilometers (65 of 135 square miles).
Questions about who controlled the island were first raised in 1860, when the border between the nations was drawn along the Amur River, and its status was uncertain.
Bolshoy Ussuriysky and the neighboring island of Tarabarov were taken "under protective custody" by Soviet troops in 1929. Both islands remained under Russian control after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991.
Tarabarov, part of Bolshoy Ussuriysky and some smaller islands—Vinogradov, Koreysky, Romashkin—were handed over to China on October 14, 2008, with experts noting at the time that the move benefited the stability of bilateral relations.
In 2016, there were talks of Russia and China setting up border crossings on Bolshoi Ussuriysky, Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported at the time, citing the China Daily newspaper.
"Russia has suggested cross-border checkpoints. These would allow eight-seater or smaller cars to travel between Khabarovsk, one of the largest cities in Russia's Far East, and Fuyuan in Heilongjiang province, the most easterly town in China," Zhou Hong, director of the Heixiazi Island Development and Management Committee, said at the time.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment on the map issued by China's Ministry of Natural Resources.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
