RUSSIA AND CHINA...AT PEACE, THEN AT WAR AGAIN

Humans can't stop being human...  Romans 3:23  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What we would say is that humans presume.  And they presume to know God's plan. 

Russia and China have experienced periods of peace + conflict, and reconciliation throughout their long and complex history. Below is a timeline of significant moments when their relationship shifted between peace and war.  The following notes illustrate an example of human being's inevitable enganglement WITH WAR

The "Period of Imperial Expansion" generally refers to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often called the "New Imperialism," when European powers, the United States, and Japan rapidly expanded their colonial empires across Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world, marked by intense competition for territory and resources, primarily between the 1870s and the outbreak of World War I in 1914. 

Key points about the Period of Imperial Expansion:
  • New Imperialism:
    This term distinguishes this period of rapid colonial expansion from earlier periods of European imperialism. 
  • Industrialization:
    Technological advancements from the Industrial Revolution fueled the expansion, allowing for easier conquest and resource extraction. 
  • "Scramble for Africa":
    A significant part of this period involved the rapid partitioning of African territory among European powers. 
  • Motivations:  Why?
    Money.  Economic interests like access to raw materials, new markets, political competition between nations, and a sense of cultural superiority ("White Man's Burden") drove imperialism.

The Example of China and Russia

Early Peaceful Relations

17th Century (Treaty of Nerchinsk, 1689):

  • The Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed to resolve territorial disputes in the Amur River region. It marked the first formal diplomatic agreement between the Russian Empire and the Qing Dynasty, maintaining peaceful relations.

Conflict and Tension

Mid-19th Century (Opium Wars Era, 1840s-1860s):

  • While not direct conflict, this period ( saw growing tension due to Russian territorial expansion into Qing lands.
  • Russia's acquisition of Outer Manchuria through treaties like the Treaty of Aigun (1858) and the Convention of Peking (1860) was viewed as exploitative by China.

1900 (Boxer Rebellion):

  • Russian forces, alongside other foreign powers, participated in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in northern China. This worsened relations as foreign interventions were resented.

20th Century Shifts

1920s-1940s (Sino-Soviet Cooperation and Tensions):

  • 1924: The USSR recognized the Republic of China and supported Sun Yat-sen's Nationalist government.
  • 1929 (Sino-Soviet Conflict): A brief military clash over the Chinese Eastern Railway occurred.
  • 1945 (End of WWII): The USSR invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria but returned control to the Chinese Nationalists, temporarily improving relations.

1950s (Early Sino-Soviet Alliance):

  • 1950 (Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship): A formal alliance was signed, with the USSR providing economic and military aid to the newly established People's Republic of China.

1960s (Sino-Soviet Split):

  • Ideological and territorial disputes culminated in the 1969 Sino-Soviet Border Conflict on Damansky/Zhenbao Island. This marked a low point in relations.

Reconciliation

1980s (Normalization of Relations):

  • After decades of estrangement, both nations began to improve ties:
    • 1982-1989: High-level talks took place, and in 1989, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited Beijing, signaling a new phase of normalization.

21st Century (Modern Strategic Partnership):

  • 2001 (Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation): A landmark agreement formalized peaceful and cooperative relations.
  • Since then, Russia and China have forged stronger ties, emphasizing economic collaboration, military exercises, and shared geopolitical interests.

Summary

  • Peace: Treaty of Nerchinsk (1689), early Soviet-Chinese alliance (1950s), modern strategic partnerships (2001 onward).
  • War: Sino-Soviet Conflict (1929), Sino-Soviet Border Conflict (1969).
  • Return to Peace: Late 20th century (1980s), Treaty of Good-Neighborliness (2001).


Here are three allegorical principles that express the folly of war:

1. Blindness of Ambition

War often stems from unchecked ambition and a desire for power, portrayed allegorically as a blindfolded figure recklessly wielding a sword. This blindness symbolizes the inability of those who wage war to foresee the long-term consequences of their actions, such as widespread destruction, suffering, and loss.

2. The Devouring Beast

War can be represented as a monstrous beast that feeds indiscriminately on humanity, consuming both the innocent and the guilty. This allegory highlights the insatiable appetite of war, which spares no one and leaves only devastation in its wake, emphasizing the futility and destructiveness of conflict.

3. The Shattered Scales of Justice

An allegory of broken scales symbolizes the abandonment of fairness, reason, and diplomacy in favor of violence. In war, the balance of justice is often destroyed, with ethical considerations overridden by greed, fear, or vengeance, showcasing the moral decay that accompanies armed conflict.

Each of these principles uses metaphor to illustrate the irrationality, destructiveness, and moral corruption inherent in war.

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