Zhenbao Island

Zhenbao Island is a tiny place.

It sits in the Ussuri River. This river is a border. It sits between China and Russia.

Long ago, the two lands fought for it. This fight happened in 1969. Battles took place on the island.

Russia has another name for it. A man named Stanislav Damansky died there. He was building a railway.

In 1991, the two sides made a deal. Now the island is part of China. The Russian troops left the land.

It is a very small spot in the river.

Zhenbao Island is a very small island.

It sits in the Ussuri River. This river marks the border between China and Russia. The island is in Heilongjiang Province in China. It is near a big Russian city called Khabarovsk.

Russia calls the island Damansky Island. A man named Stanislav Damansky died there in 1888. He was a railway engineer. He was mapping a path for the Trans-Siberian Railway.

For a long time, China and the Soviet Union fought over the land. They did not agree on where the border was. In 1969, there were battles on the island. Many people died in these fights. People were worried this might start a much larger war.

In 1991, the two sides made a new deal. This was the Sino-Soviet Border Agreement. Both sides agreed the island belongs to China. After the deal, Soviet troops left the area. Now, the island is part of China.

Zhenbao Island is a very small piece of land.

It sits in the middle of the Ussuri River. This river forms the border between China and Russia. The island is located in the Heilongjiang Province of China. It is near a large Russian city called Khabarovsk. The island is only about 0.5 square kilometers in size.

For many years, two countries fought over this land. China and the Soviet Union did not agree on the border. China used a rule called the Thalweg principle. This rule looks at the deepest part of the river channel. China believed this rule meant 600 of the 700 islands belonged to them. This included Zhenbao Island. The dispute made people very worried about a large war.

History shows us how the island got its names. Russia calls it Damansky Island. It was named after a man named Stanislav Damansky. He was a railway engineer working in 1888. He was mapping a path for the Trans-Siberian Railway. Sadly, he died during an incident on the island. This event gave the island its Russian name.

In the middle of 1969, the tension turned into fighting. This was part of the Sino-Soviet border conflict. Battles took place on the island during this time. Many people lost their lives in these fights. The conflict was so serious that leaders from other lands watched closely. Even the leaders of the Soviet Union and China had hard times talking. A story says a phone call between leaders failed because of a worker.

Finally, the two sides reached a peaceful solution. They signed the Sino-Soviet Border Agreement in 1991. Both sides agreed that the island belongs to China. After this deal, the Soviet troops left the area. This agreement helped settle the long dispute. Now, the island is a settled part of the Chinese border.

Zhenbao Island is a very small piece of land located in the Ussuri River.

It sits within the Hulin area of Jixi, in China's Heilongjiang Province. This river serves as a natural border between China and Russia. Specifically, the island lies between China and the Primorsky Krai region of Russia. The island has an area of only 0.5 square kilometers. Because of its location, it became the center of a major disagreement between two nations. For many years, China and the Soviet Union disputed who owned this small territory.

The dispute was based on how river borders should be decided. China used a legal concept known as the Thalweg principle. This principle states that the border should follow the central line of the main river channel. China argued that this rule provided a legal basis for delimiting the boundary. Based on this logic, Beijing claimed that 600 of the 700 islands in the river belonged to the P.R.C. This claim included Zhenbao Island. The island is located about 180 miles southwest of Khabarovsk, which is an important Soviet city.

The island has two different names due to its history. In China, it is known as Zhenbao Island. In Russia, it is called Damansky Island. The Russian name comes from a man named Stanislav Damansky. He was a railway engineer working in 1888. He was charting a route for the future Trans-Siberian Railway. Sadly, he died during an incident on the island while he was working. This event is why the island carries his name in Russian.

Tensions between the two nations reached a breaking point in mid-1969. This period was known as the Sino-Soviet border conflict. During this time, actual battles were fought on the island. These battles resulted in a considerable loss of life. The conflict was so intense that it caused global concern. Many people feared the dispute could ignite World War III. The situation remained very serious until an initial resolution arrived in November 1969.

During this era of conflict, communication between leaders was very difficult. U.S. President Richard Nixon once shared a story about this time. He recounted a conversation with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. The story involved a failed attempt at a phone call. Soviet Premier Kosygin tried to use a hot line to reach Chairman Mao. However, a telephone operator refused to connect the call. The operator called the Soviet leader a "revisionist" and broke the connection. This shows how cold the relationship between the two countries had become.

The long disagreement finally ended through diplomacy. On May 19, 1991, both sides signed the Sino-Soviet Border Agreement. This agreement settled the territorial dispute once and for all. Both China and the Soviet Union agreed that the island was part of Chinese territory. Following this decision, Soviet troops withdrew from the island. This peaceful settlement brought stability to the border region.

Zhenbao Island remains a significant site for studying history and geography. It shows how small pieces of land can impact large nations. The island is also listed as a Ramsar site in China. This means it is a wetland of international importance. Even though the fighting ended decades ago, the history of the island is still remembered. A 2004 Russian documentary film was even made about the events of 1969. The film is titled "Damansky Island Year 1969."