CHINA-MONGOLIA BOUNDARY ATLAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000100270001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 7, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 1, 1981
• Content Type: REPORT

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Foreign
Assessment
Center
Boundary Atlas
China-Mongolia
GS 81-10088
July 1981
COPY 299
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i Foreign
Assessment
Center
China-Mongolia
Boundary Atlas
Information available as of 15 May 1981
has been used in the preparation of this report.
This paper was prepared byl East
Asia Branch, Office of Geographic and Societal
Research. Comments and queries are welcome and
may be addressed to the Chief, East Asia Branch,
OGSR
Confidential
GS 81-10088
July 1981
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China-Mongolia
Boundary Atlas
The China-Mongolia boundary has long been a
potential source of friction. Mongolia, under nominal
Chinese sovereignty since the late 17th century, de-
clared its independence in 1911, and Russia (after
1917, the USSR) accelerated its efforts to dominate
the new country. The Republic of China disregarded
Mongolia's unilateral declaration for over 30 years; not
until 1945, in an exchange of notes with the Soviet
Union, did China agree to recognize the Mongolian
People's Republic-if a plebiscite confirmed that in-
dependence had the support of the Mongolian people.
boundary treaty. It was signed on 25 December 1962,
and the demarcation of the entire boundary was com-
pleted in 1964. This boundary favors the traditional
Mongolian version. The Chinese apparently were gen-
erous and-recognizing that most of the settlements
and development in the border area were Mongolian
agreed to formalize local understanding of where the
boundary was, particularly in populated sectors.
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During the early 1960s China had peacefully negoti-
ated several other disputes that resulted in the de- 25X1
marcation of its boundaries with Burma, Nepal, Paki-
stan, and Afghanistan. Particularly bitter boundary
disputes with India and the Soviet Union remained
unresolved, however, and the Chinese perhaps hoped
that treating Mongolia equitably would provide the
world additional proof that they negotiated responsibly
and quickly on boundary matters. 25X1
The Border Protocol was signed on 30 June 1964 25X1
following the completion of demarcation by the Bound-
result of their different versions of the border
Even after the vote for independence, the boundary
remained undefined. The only portion that had been
settled through negotiation was in the east where Mon-
golian and Soviet forces had fought against Japanese
troops in 1939 over its alignment. An agreement be-
tween the Japanese and Mongolians was reached in
1942, and some demarcation was completed in this
area. After World War 11, the Chinese Government
refused to recognize any boundary agreement involv-
ing the Japanese and avoided further negotiations
pending the outcome of the struggle for control of the
mainland. During this period, Chinese and Mongolian
troops were involved in minor clashes in the west as a
border.
Even after the establishment of the People's Republic
of China in 1949, the boundary alignment shown on
Chinese maps differed markedly from that on Soviet
maps, substantially the one accepted by Mongolia. By
the mid- I950s, however, Chinese maps were depicting
less extensive claims along all of the borders disputed
by Beijing. Nevertheless, sizable territorial differences
were apparent between Chinese and Mongolian ver-
sions, particularly in the Altai Mountains in the west
and along portions of the Nei Monggol-Mongolian
By the early 1960s China was attempting to improve
relations with Mongolia and agreed to negotiate a
Neither side released details of the boundary settle- 25X1
ment, and cartographic depiction of the boundary re-
mained inconsistent. Some changes in the boundary
alignment on small-scale maps later published by
China and the Soviet Union presumably reflected the
treaty provisions. In 1971 a copy of the protocol was
translated into English and published by the Joint 25X1
Publications Research Service (JPRS 52218, 21 Janu-
ary 1971, 179 pages). Most of the boundary points and
terrain features described in the protocol could not be
identified on cartographic materials available to US
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Confidential
alignment of much of the border.
cartographers. Hence the boundary alignment shown
on medium-scale (1:250,000) US maps had to be de-
rived from small-scale Chinese or Soviet maps, which
resulted in considerable guesswork as to the precise
Early this year, in the first map exchange between
officials of the United States and China, a copy of the
1964 Boundary Atlas was provided to the US Govern-
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