Which territories north of the Amur River did Qing China cede to Russia in the 1858 and 1860 treaties?

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In the 1858 Treaty of Aigun and the 1860 Treaty of Beijing, Qing China ceded significant territories to Russia that were previously considered part of the Manchuria region.12

The territorial concessions included:

  • Lands north of the Amur River: Under the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, China ceded the territory on the northern bank of the Amur River (Heilong Jiang) extending from the junction with the Argun River to the Tatar Strait.34
  • Lands east of the Ussuri River: While the 1858 treaty initially placed the land between the Ussuri River and the sea under joint possession, the 1860 Treaty of Beijing formally ceded this entire territory to Russia. This area included the land east of the Ussuri and south of Lake Khanka, encompassing the site of the future settlement of Vladivostok.34

These agreements are historically categorized as unequal treaties, as they were forced upon a weakened Qing government during a period of significant foreign pressure.134