Treaty of Aigun

The Treaty of Aigun (Ch瑷珲条约, pinyin: Aìhún Tiáoyuē, Russian Айгунский договор ) was signed between Russia and Qing China on 28 May 1858 in the Manchurian city Aigun. It fits into the series of " unequal treaties " one which may be entered China could be forced in the 19th century because of their economic and military weakness of foreign powers. The Russian side was represented by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Nikolayevich Murawjow - Amur, the Chinese by the commander in chief of the Chinese army Yishan. The treaty was ratified by the Russian government by the Chinese emperor, and on July 20, on 14 June 1858.

The treaty was the result of a long process of Russian expansion in the Amur region and the Far East. A particularly important role played by the Amur expedition of the Russian explorer Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoi. In the preamble of the treaty, it was found that it was closed in the " common consent " and " the great eternal friendship of two big states." The Russian-Chinese border demarcation was regulated as follows: The left bank of the Amur River from the river Argun to the ocean mouth is Russia slammed, while the right bank remains downstream to the River Ussuri in the possession of the Chinese. The Land of the Ussuri River to the sea is classified as " shareable area " " until further notice". For the other states of the river traffic is blocked.

Overall, China lost by this Treaty parts of Manchuria, which had been awarded to him as a result of the Treaty of Nertschinsk 1689. The Treaty of Aigun was added two years later by the Beijing Treaty of 1860.