The Hindu : International : Russia, China sign border pact

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

International

International

Russia, China sign border pact

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, OCT. 15. A Russian-Chinese pact settling the last stretches of a 4,300-km border between the two states is the most important result of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's talks in Beijing, a Russian scholar said.

The agreement delimits about 380 km of the common border that had been left unresolved by previous border accords signed in the 1990s.

Win-win solution

A joint statement issued by the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, and Mr. Putin called the agreement signed on Thursday a "win-win" solution that should be "valued and fully affirmed."

The agreement became possible thanks to concessions made by the Chinese side regarding disputed islands on the borderline rivers in order to win greater access to Russian energy resources.

China had claimed two islands on the Amur and one island on the Argun, but

Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Thursday that the border will now pass right across the islands, which leaves the main shipping waterway on the Russian side of the border.

"Settling the border problem was the most important task for both Russia and China," said Dr. Yakov Berger of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of the Far East.

"The agreement signed in Beijing will help alleviate Russian fears and will strengthen Russia's security vis-a-vis China."

Russia and China fought a short but bitter border conflict in 1969 when Chinese troops occupied a Russian island on the Amur river and the Russians fired Grad multi-barrel missiles to wipe out the intruders.

Even after the bulk of the common border was demarcated Russia accused the Chinese of trying to link their territory with the islands by dropping rocks into the river and sinking sand-filled barges in order to have more grounds for claiming the disputed islands.

Crucial condition

Mr. Putin made it clear the border pact was a crucial condition Moscow set for supplying more Russian energy to China.

"We have found a solution to the border issue which allows us to have closer cooperation with regard to development of natural resources, environmental protection and economic issues," the Russian leader said after the signing ceremony.

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