754 Chapter 6
MID#3647
Dispute Number: 3647
Date(s): February 21, 1911 to March 27, 1911
Participants: 365 Russia/710 China
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: From May 1910 to April 1911, the Qing government, in order to prevent
an invasion from Russia, negotiated several times to re-demarcate the boundary of
the two countries. On August 8, 1910, Russia forced the Qing government to sign the
Songhua River sailing charter. Russia attempted to use this negotiation to also revise
part of the Ili treaty that concerned the land border. Both countries agreed to modify
the treaty in 1911.
On February 26, 1911, the Russian government sent China an ultimatum with six
requirements. These were: Russia could levy an export tax on Chinese goods in the
border out of Chinese territory; within a hundred miles of the boundary between two
countries, there was no tax on native products and industrial goods of Russian citizens
who lived in Chinese territory, owned by Russian consular officers jurisdiction; all
Chinese-Russian litigation would be handled by Russian consular officers; Chinese
officers would accept the rights of Russian citizens in the district; Russia citizens
could live freely in Mongolia and both sides of the Tianshan Mountain, and all trade
would be duty free and without any restriction by the Qing government; besides Hovd,
Uliastai, Hami, and Qitais consulate rights, Russian citizens could also buy lands or
build houses in Ili, Kulun, Kashgar, Urumqi, and Zhangjiakou. At the end of the ulti-
matum claimed that “If the Qing government refused one of these six requirements,
the Russian government will not keep the relationship with Qing government, and
Russia will take free action in China.”
Concurrently, Russia sent troops to Ili and Manchuria and pressured the Qing gov-
ernment. The Qing government agreed to almost all the Russian requirements in Feb-
ruary, but Russia was still not satisfied. On March 22, Russia sent a final ultimatum
to the Qing government and limited the last day to accept all requirements as March
- Under the pressure, the Qing government accepted the ultimatum on March 27.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from March 22, 1911.
MID#3254
Dispute Number: 3254
Date(s): August 1912 to November 5, 1913
Participants: 365 Russia/710 China
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Mongolia declared its independence from China when the Qing Dynasty
dissolved, but the new Republic of China that replaced the Qing Dynasty considered
Outer Mongolia as part of Chinese territory. The trajectory of an autonomous Mon-
golia brought Russia and China into a dispute. Russia had an interest in propping
Mongolia as an autonomous entity given the 1881 treaty with China that afforded