A Study Of The Jiandao Question

This dissertation elaborates the whole process of the Jiandao question. It includes three parts:introduction, text and conclusion.Introduction, the first chapter, explains the implication of the subject, the purposes, importance, research developments, methods, first hand material, study emphasis and innovation points.The text is made up of four chapters, from chapter2to chapter5.Chapter2recounts the root cause of the Jiandao question, mukedeng’s investigation of Sino-Korean borderline and building the demarcation stone.China and Korea are neighbor countries. The borderline between the two countries changed many times in history. Until the reign of Emperor Xuande of the Ming dynasty, it moved gradually to the Yalu and the Tumen River. At the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing and Korea signed a treaty to emphasize the Yalu and the Tumen River was the legal borderline. Because there are so many sources in the upper reaches of the two rivers and the borderline was not clear, sometimes the residents near the borderline crossed the boundary illegally and clashed with each other. In the reign of Kangxi of Ching dynasty, the governor of Wula, Mukedeng was sent to investigate the source of the above rivers and set up a demarcation stone on the watershed north of Changbai Mountain Lake to mark Shiyi River as the starting point of the Tumen River boundary.Chapter3discourses the occurrence of the Jiandao question and the boundary negotiations between China and Korea in1885and1887.In the seventeen and eighteen century some Korean scholars advocated nationalism and refused to accept Tumen on the demarcation stone as Douman, which led to the dispute on the borderline trend of Tumen River. At that time Korean migrants living north of the Tumen River named their cultivated land Jiandao and the Korean government thought it belonged to Korea in accordance with the inscriptions on the Mukedeng demarcation stone. Through two negotiations in1885and1887, the Korean government analyzing a lot of data presented a note to formally admit whether Tumen or Douman is the same river. But the two sides had different views on the starting point of the Tumen River borderline. The Chinese side argued was the source while the Korean side claimed Hongtushan(红土山水) was the very Tumen recognized by Mukedeng.Chapter3mainly discusses the strategy of Korea on the Jiandao question after the Sino-Japanese war of1894.After the Sino-Japanese war of1894, when China and Korean abolished the traditional relationship of suzerainty and vassal, Japan and Russia contended fiercely in the Korean peninsula and the situation of northeast Asia changed dramatically. Korea denied the result of the previous boundary settlement and plotted to rule Jiandao with the aid of Russia. In1899, China and Korea signed a trade treaty on equal terms, but it did not express the legal status of Korean migrants in Jiandao clearly, which led to different explanations afterwards. In1901, Korea set up boundary police office and kept lots of soldiers on the borderline of the Tumen River, aimed to govern Korean migrants in Jiandao. The Korean police and soldiers harassed Jiandao frequently and did severe damage to local people’s life and property. In1902, Korea appointed Li-Fanyun as envoy to deal with Jiandao affairs. In1904, Li launched a rebellion but failed, then China and Korea signed a boundary treaty related to some important issues. China thought it meant the end of the dispute, but Korea accepted it as an expedient measure.Chapter5deals with the negotiation between China and Japan and the signing of the Jiandao treaty.In1905, Japan defeated Russia and forced Korea to accept the treaty of protection which stipulated Japan took over Korean foreign affairs. Under the pretext of this treaty, Japan drew up a concrete plan to invade Jiandao. At the same time, Korea also wanted to administer Jiandao with the aid of Japan. In11,1906, The Korean government sent a note to resident-general I to Hirobumi, demanding Japan to negotiate with China and send officers to protect Korean migrants in Jiandao. In1907, Japan established Jiandao temporary police substation affiliated to Korean resident-general government to contend with China’s Yanji prefecture and bewitched Korean migrants in Jiandao through conciliatory policy. Japanese envoy in Beijing made representations with China over the Jiandao issue. The so-called Jiandao issue, repeating the Korean government’s sophism, was only an excuse which the Japanese imperialists used to mislead the public and openly occupied the Chinese boundary. Through many negotiations, both sides signed the Jiandao treaty, which was also called Sino-Korean treaty on Tumen borderline. Although this treaty reiterated the sovereignty of the area north of the Tumen River belonged to China, China was forced to make great concessions and accept almost all the articles related to the other Manchuria issues in another treaty. It is totally absurd for some foreigners to claim that Japan sacrificed the sovereignty of Korea to sign the treaty in exchange for other benefits.The conclusion, chapter6, points out that the essence of the Jiandao question was Mukedeng demarcation stone. It was intricate and complicated, not only related to the factors of China and Korea, but also to the situation of northeast Asia. The articles regarding the Tumen River boundary in Jiandao treaty in1909only recognized the inherent rights of China. Whether the treaty was valid or not, it is undeniable that Yanbian (Jiandao) is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.