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How did the 1858 and 1860 agreements change control of lands near the Amur River?

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Topographic map of the Amur River basin and its drainage network, covering parts of northeastern China, eastern Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, shows major rivers and tributaries, surrounding mountain ranges, swamps, marshes, and lakes, and includes a locator inset of the region within Asia. Major cities, railways, and dams are also marked. — Amur River The Amur River basin and its drainage network.

The 1858 Treaty of Aigun and the 1860 Beijing Convention fundamentally shifted territorial control in the Amur River basin from China to Russia. These agreements are historically categorized as unequal treaties, forced upon a weakened China during a period of internal turmoil and conflict with Western powers.123

The specific changes in control included:

1858 Treaty of Aigun: China ceded to Russia all lands north of the Amur River, stretching from the junction with the Argun River to the Tatar Strait. Additionally, the territory between the Ussuri River and the sea was placed under joint Russian-Chinese possession.243
1860 Beijing Convention: This agreement confirmed the territorial cessions of the 1858 treaty and further granted Russia full jurisdiction over the lands east of the Ussuri River and south of Lake Khanka. This acquisition provided Russia with the site where Vladivostok was subsequently established.243

Beyond territorial loss, the 1858 agreement restricted navigation on the Amur, Ussuri, and Sungari rivers exclusively to Russian and Chinese vessels.2