Supplementary Agreement between the People 's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border

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Country/entity: China
Russia
Region: Asia and Pacific
Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Supplementary Agreement between the People 's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border
Date: 14 Oct 2004
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Interstate/interstate conflict
Sino-Soviet Border Conflict (1969 - 1991)
Lasting 7 months, this undeclared border war erupted at the height of the Sino-Soviet split in March 1969 in the area of Zhenbao on the Wusuli River. Ten years earlier, the two allies had stood as champions of communism. Indeed, Soviet Russia played a key role in supporting Communist rebels against the nationalist Koumintang. However, relations soured over differences in ideology and leadership and although a border treaty was drawn up in 1965, Nikita Krushchev refused to sign after allegations by Mao Zedong were leaked that Tsarist Russia had stripped China of its historical territory. Accounts of the conflict vary between Chinese and Russian historians. Nonetheless, a People's Liberation Army raid on a Soviet border outpost on March 2, 1969 left over a hundred dead. Although, the conflict brought both countries to the brink of a greater war, with troops amassing on both sides, this outcome was avoided. The conflict was formally ended in September 1991 with the first border demarcation agreement.Other agreements were signed with formerly-Soviet States included Kazakhstan.
Stage: Framework/substantive - partial
Conflict nature: Territory
Peace process: China-Russia border dispute peace process
Parties: Russian Federation Representative Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov [Signature]
People’s Republic of China Representative Li Zhaoxing [Signature]
Third parties: -
Description: Supplementary Agreement to the 1991 Border agreement, clarifying the border between points 7 and 8, and 10 and 11 on the Eastern Sector.

Agreement document: CN_RU_041014_Supplementary Agreement on the Eastern Section_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): CN_RU_040101_Supplementary Agreement on the Eastern Section_CN.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: [Summary] The entire agreement delineates the border between China and Russia in the Eastern Sector.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: [Summary] The entire agreement deals with delineating the border between Russia and China, which is marked by the main channel of the river Hailar (Argun)

Page 2, Second Clause:
In order to determine the border line which is described in the first clause of this supplementary agreement, the Contracting Parties decided, on the basis of equity, to establish a united Boundary Demarcation Committee and also to give said Committee the task of marking out the border to determine the exact position of the centreline of the main channel of the boundary river, the centreline of the river, or of the main stream. Also according to this supplementary agreement’s third clause, to determine the ownership of the islands and islets in the rivers, to erect landmarks, draw up border demarcation documents, draw detailed border maps, and to resolve and complete the various specific issues related to the above-mentioned task.

Page 2, Third Clause
The Contracting Parties agree that the navigable part of the river of the border line, as described in this supplementary agreement’s first clause, runs along the centreline of the main channel. The non- navigable part of the river runs along the centreline of the water flow or main stream. The exact position of the main channel and what is regarded as the centreline of the border’s main channel, the river or the main stream’s centreline and the rivers islands and islets whose ownership is divided in view of the above, will be specifically defined during the time in which Sino-Russian border is being demarcated.
The main basis for determining the main channel is the depth of water combined with the main channel’s width, the radius of curvature should also be taken into consideration. The centreline of the main channel is indicated by the centreline of the water surface in between the main channel’s two corresponding isobaths.
The basis for determining the main stream is the rate of flow at the mid-water level.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Wikisource.org

Supplementary Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border

The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation (from here on referred to as “the Contracting Parties”) according to the 16 May 1991 Standing Committee for the National People’s Congress of the People's Republic of China and the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation approved the Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border.

In order to clarify and confirm that they have reached a consistent agreement for the boundary line along two parts of the Sino-Russian border, the sections running from the seventh (7th) to the eight (8th) [point] and the tenth (10th) to the eleventh (11th) point on the border, the agreement reached is as follows:

First Clause:

The direction for the area of the Sino-Russian border running between points 7 and 8, from what is stated in clause number 2 of the 16 May 1991 Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Socialist Republics on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border, is as follows:

Starting from the point 7, the border which roughly traces southward along the centreline of the Hailar River (listed as the ‘Prova River’ on the former-USSR map) heading south to south east up to the point of intersect between the Hailar River’s water flow or main stream centreline and that of an unnamed river’s water flow or main stream centreline (listed as the ‘Argun River’ on the former-USSR map).

Later it heads roughly north to northeast along the unnamed river’s water flow or main stream centreline (listed as the ‘Argun River’ on the former-USSR map) down to point 7.1.

This section is at the centre of the water flow or main stream of the unnamed river (listed as the ‘Argun River’ on the former-USSR map);

the rectangular coordinates are:

approximately X = 5,490,500, Y = 20,564,000.

Starting from point 7.1, the border heads in a straight line directly north, crossing Abagaitu islet (‘Bolshoi Island’ on the former-USSR map) down to point 7.2.

This point is at the centreline of the water flow or main stream of the Argun River (the ‘Prova River’ on the former-USSR map).

The rectangular coordinates are approximately X= 5,496,160, Y= 20,564,380.

Starting from point 7.2, the border follows the water flow or main stream of the Argun River (‘Prova River’ on the former-USSR map), roughly northwards heading north east up to point 8.

The direction of the area running between section 10 and 11 of the Sino-Russian border, from that which is stated in clause number 2 of the 16 May 1991 Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border, is as follows:

Starting from point 10, the border follows the main channel of the Heilongjiang River (‘Amur River’ on the former-USSR map) heading roughly north up to point 10.1.

This point of the border is at the point of intersection between the main channel’s centreline of the Heilongjiang River (‘Amur River’ on the former-USSR map) and that which is regarded as the vertical line of the shoreline.

Starting from point 10.1, the national border line runs south along the above-mentioned vertical line, up to point 10.2.

This point is on Heixiazi Island (‘Bolshoi Ussuriisk Island’ on the former-USSR map).

The rectangular coordinates for this point are:

approximately X= 5,358,650, Y= 23,482,570.

Starting from point 10.2, the national border line at Heixiazi Island (‘Bolshoi Ussurissk Island’ on the former-USSR map) heads in a straight line going south to south east up to point 10.3.

The rectangular coordinates for this point are:

approximately X= 5,358,300.

Y= 23, 482, 740.

Starting from point 10.3, the national border line at Heixiazi Island (‘Bolshoi Ussurissk Island’ on the former-USSR map) heads in a straight line going south to south west, up to point 10.4.

The rectangular coordinates for this point are:

approximately X= 5,349,820.

Y= 23,479,010.

The Above-mentioned Sino-Russian border is marked onto a 1:100,000 scale map of China and the Russian Federation using a red line.

They used a coordinates system of equal value to the map to measure and select the boundary.

The above-mentioned map which uses a red line to mark the Sino-Russian border has been added to this supplementary agreement and is viewed as an inseparable part of it.

Second Clause:

In order to determine the border line which is described in the first clause of this supplementary agreement, the Contracting Parties decided, on the basis of equity, to establish a united Boundary Demarcation Committee and also to give said Committee the task of marking out the border to determine the exact position of the centreline of the main channel of the boundary river, the centreline of the river, or of the main stream.

Also according to this supplementary agreement’s third clause, to determine the ownership of the islands and islets in the rivers, to erect landmarks, draw up border demarcation documents, draw detailed border maps, and to resolve and complete the various specific issues related to the above-mentioned task.

Third Clause

The Contracting Parties agree that the navigable part of the river of the border line, as described in this supplementary agreement’s first clause, runs along the centreline of the main channel.

The non-navigable part of the river runs along the centreline of the water flow or main stream.

The exact position of the main channel and what is regarded as the centreline of the border’s main channel, the river or the main stream’s centreline and the rivers islands and islets whose ownership is divided in view of the above, will be specifically defined during the time in which Sino-Russian border is being demarcated.

The main basis for determining the main channel is the depth of water combined with the main channel’s width, the radius of curvature should also be taken into consideration.

The centreline of the main channel is indicated by the centreline of the water surface in between the main channel’s two corresponding isobaths.

The basis for determining the main stream is the rate of flow at the mid-water level.

Fourth Clause

The Contracting Parties agree, that the Sino-Russian border demarcated on the ground should also be equally divided vertically into the sky and the subsoil.

Fifth Clause

Unless the Contracting Parties reach another agreement, any natural changes that may occur in the area of the border do not affect the position of the Sino-Russian border that is described in Article 1 of this supplementary agreement and the related islands and islets.

After the border line of the boundary river has been demarcated, any newly emerging island or islets that may appear will be divided according to the border line.

If the new islands are on the demarcated border line, the Contracting Parties will agree on the basis of fairness who has ownership over them.

Sixth Clause

This supplementary agreement is the 16 May 1991 “Supplementary Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the Sino-Russian Border.

Seventh Clause

This Supplementary Agreement is subject to approval, and shall take effect as of the date that the instruments of ratification are exchanged.

The instruments of ratification should be exchanged in Moscow as quickly as possible.

This Supplementary Agreement was made in duplicate on the 14 October 2004 in Beijing.

Each copy is written in both Chinese and Russian.

Both versions are equally valid.

People’s Republic of China Representative

Li Zhaoxing

[Signature]

Russian Federation Representative

Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov

[Signature]