a Celebration of the 160th anniversary of Vladivostok turned into a diplomatic scandal. The Russian Embassy in China posted a message on the anniversary of the city in the local social network Weibo. Users, among whom were Chinese diplomats, said the post was a poignant reminder that the land on which stands Vladivostok, once belonged to the Chinese. This incident exposes the problems hindering the conclusion of a full military Alliance between Moscow and Beijing.
The message, by perturbing the Chinese, was published July 2 in the Chinese social network Weibo, which is hardly used outside China. Consequently, the inhabitants of the country took it to your account, although, from the point of view of the Russian reader, it didn’t contain anything offensive.
Today Vladivostok celebrates its 160th anniversary. Vladivostok was founded in 1860 when the Russian was built on the site of sea port called “Vladivostok” (literally “Possess the East”), — stated in the message of the Russian Embassy. — At the end of the XIX century Vladivostok has grown to a major port and industrial city. Here today is based of the Russian Navy in the far East.
In China believe that Russia received the land on which modern Vladivostok, the result of an unequal Treaty with a weakened Chinese Empire. Before they were called Haishenwei. After the Second opium war, Russia, France and Britain received part of the Chinese territories, including has been expanded British possessions adjacent to Hong Kong. The Chinese still perceive this period as a bitter page in the history of the country.
the message of the Russian Embassy was not welcome in Weibo, responded to the publication of the journalist of Chinese was a result of Shen Shiwei. — Notice how some commentators, it reminds people of the humiliating time the 1860s.
The Chinese diplomat Zhang Heqin working in Pakistan, asks a rhetorical question to the authors: “Isn’t this what used to be our Haishenwai?” Not clothed with diplomatic powers, social network users publish even more angry comments.
Today, we can endure, but the Chinese people remember and will remember for many generations, says one of the comments on Weibo. We must believe that the land of our ancestors will ever return home.
Publication of the Russian Embassy angered the Chinese due to the fact that poorly fit in the political context. Recently enacted a national security act that establishes the supremacy of the Chinese intelligence in Hong Kong. In the world and in the special administrative region have interpreted this move as an attempt to deprive Hong Kong’s autonomy. In mainland China see this as the return of lands unjustly taken aways during the “humiliating” period of history.
In addition, in recent weeks, escalated the border conflict, China and India in the high-altitude Ladakh. Russia tries to stay out of this territorial dispute, but as you know, selling weapons to India as part of a strategic partnership.
One of the reasons why Russia sells weapons to India, is an attempt to maintain a balance between India and China, commented to the newspaper South China Morning Post Professor of Sinology at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in new Delhi He Kondapalli. — The Russian defense Ministry believes China is a potential threat because of the length of the border with him.
Russia is unprofitable with the rise of China and its claim to status as a world power, indicated in the report of the International centre for defence and security. Therefore, despite the development of military cooperation, the conclusion of the military Alliance between Moscow and Beijing in the near future is unlikely. China (and the scandal surrounding 160-th anniversary of Vladivostok once again proved it. — NEWS.ru) the far East said the area of its exclusive interests, and in recent years more and more aggressively defends their. At the same time he is interested in maintaining the status quo in Europe. Russia’s interests are the opposite: she is ready to redraw the map of the Old world, but it wants peace on its Eastern borders, analysts say.
The main thing that unites Moscow and Beijing’s opposition to Washington. As for the other aspects, both countries are trying to avoid the conflict and carefully developing military cooperation. But long border and a large field for territorial claims will continue to undermine the prospects for military Alliance, the report of the analytical center.
