German media accused Russia of capturing the Far East

In his article, Dittmar tells how some parts of today's Far East came under the control of the Russian Empire, describes in detail the allegedly cruel attitude towards the local population, but is silent about the policy of the Western colonialists in China itself.

The author expresses regret that in Russia there are monuments to the Governor-General Count Muravyov-Amursky, under which the territories were annexed to Russia. He also complains that the Bolsheviks, after coming to power in 1917, did not return the land to China, despite promises.

“Instead, the Soviet governments continued to act on the tsarist principle of“ gathering Russian lands, ”that is, they were engaged in the forcible annexation of foreign territories”, - the journalist writes.

Dittmar emphasizes that China has not forgotten this episode of history.

It's worth reminding that Russia in 1858 signed the Aigun Treaty with the Manchu Qing Empire that controlled China. According to the document, the border between the countries was established along the Amur River. Before the Manchu conquest of China, which ended only 25 years after the signing of this treatise, the mentioned territory was part of the Manchu Khanate of Hou Jin. According to the document, the left bank of the Amur from the Argun to the estuary became the property of Russia, and the Ussuri region from the confluence of the Ussuri into the Amur to the sea remained in common possession until the border was determined. In 1860, the agreement was expanded with the Peking Treaty.

We also recall that Count Muravyov-Amursky was the Governor-General of Siberia and the Far East. It was he who organized the process of returning the Amur, ceded to China in 1689. In the period from 1847 to 1861, the count served as the governor-general of Eastern Siberia. The right to conduct all relations with the Chinese government on the delimitation of the eastern outskirts of the Russian Empire was granted to Muravyov-Amursky by Emperor Nicholas I. For the signed Aigun treatise, Muravyov-Amursky was awarded the title of count.