China\'s Quest. The History of the Foreign Relations of the People\'s Republic of China - John Garver

280 { China’s Quest

It is likely that Mao had other deterrent objectives in mind, larger than sim-

ply persuading Moscow to stop confronting Chinese patrols on the disputed

Ussuri River islands. With the Brezhnev Doctrine and the intense factional

struggle still underway in China in mind, Mao probably also wanted to dis-

suade Moscow from undertaking large-scale armed intervention in support

Ussuri River

CHINA

(Heilongjiang Province)

U.S.S.R.

(Russian Far East)

Zhenbao

Island

West bank of river;

boundary claimed

by U.S.S.R. alweg; boundary

claimed by China

F IGU R E 10 -1 Zhenbao Island and the Riverine Border

Source: Down with the New Tsars! (Foreign Languages Press: Beijing, 1969).