Chinese-Russian Border Dispute

Abstract

The development of the Sino-Russian boundary dispute ominously continues to parallel the course of events that took China and India into a border war in 1962. Both Moscow and Peking, it now appears, are prepared to resume the discussions on the border issue which broke down in 1964. The differences between the two sides have never been as wide as their abusive diplomatic-cum-propaganda exchanges suggest, and have really concerned the method of settlement rather than great sweeps of territory. But if the approaching talks in Moscow do not succeed in bridging the crucial difference the consequences could be most dangerous. A second diplomatic failure would leave these two huge, nuclear-armed powers on the brink of hostilities, and the Soviet Union gives every sign of preparing itself for the plunge.

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