A brief history of these conflicts can be summed up by observing the border war between China and the Soviet Union in 1969. The Sino-Soviet border war is a classic example. The Chinese and the Soviets share the same river basin. In 1860, the Treaty of Peking assigned the territory of Outer Manchuria to Russia. The Argun River flows from Mongolia’s tripartite junction to the northern tip of China, while the Ussuri River flows south-west. The two rivers join in Khabarovsk, which is located in the northwest corner of the Russian Arctic.
Since then, the two nations have become polar opposites. China is a powerful country that has taken NATO and has oriented toward former Soviet countries like Ukraine. As a result, the Sino-Russian relationship has evolved into a complex one. However, the most important fact about this relationship is that it’s not a rogue nation. In fact, there have been many ties between the two countries and their militaries have developed over the centuries.
The Sino-Russian relationship has long been based on friendship and mutual interests. While a formal alliance between the two nations is unlikely, they do have numerous common security interests, including burgeoning energy ties and a common disdain for the U.S.-led rules-based international order. In recent years, Russia has pivoting toward Beijing, and China has been active in Russia’s capstone strategic exercises in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the two countries plan to conduct joint strategic air patrols.
The two countries first met during the 17th century. They were on opposite ends of Siberia, where their populations were nomads. The Russians had crossed the entire area by 1640 and established settlements in the Amur River basin. By 1652, Russia occupied Kuldja and forced its own settlers to leave. In the end, the Russians seized power, and the Chinese restored it in 1912. During the 20th century, both countries formed diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the Xinhai Revolution, respectively.
In the 19th century, the two countries have been rivals in the Far East for three centuries. The major conflicts can be counted on a single hand. In the ninth century, the Russians invaded the Chinese. In the following centuries, they established their relations and began their relationship. But they have not actually fought each other. In 19th-century, the two nations were neighbors. If China and Russia had ever fought, the Soviet Union won, but they remained aloof.
In the nineteenth century, China and the USSR were rivals. By the mid-19th century, China’s economy was stagnant and the USSR had signed unequal treaties with the two countries. As a result, they resisted the US in the far east. Although the United States and Canada remain close allies, the Russian and Chinese border has a complicated history. They have not fought with one another, but they have had clashed in the past.
There have been several conflicts between the two nations. In 1969, the Soviet Union attacked the Chinese positions in the Ussuri River and threatened to nuke China. This was the only time China’s nuclear arsenal was brought to full alert. The Sino-Soviet conflict was the only war between the two countries. Both have worked to maintain good relations. They have not fought each other since. They are a neighboring country that has been at odds with each other for centuries.
In the past, both countries have been rivals and neighbors in the Far East. There have been no major wars between them, but there have been some tense moments. Recently, China has increased its strength in the region. It fought India over the Aksai Chin region in 1962. In the 1970s, both countries resisted the other. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union and China had clashed in the South Pacific. Afterwards, both nations had to deal with their differences.
There have been no conflicts between the two nations since the 1920s. The relationship between Xi and Putin has remained complex over the past decades. Their overlapping biographical histories have shaped their relations, and their biographical similarities and differences are very striking. Both men were born in communist countries. Their fathers idolized them, and they both grew up with a Marxist-Leninist worldview.