International Rivalry and Secret Diplomacy in East Asia, 1896-1950

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in multiple conflicts in East Asia, particularly in China, Korea, and Vietnam. The struggle for dominance in the region predated the Cold War, as evidenced by secret treaties signed between China and the USSR from the mid-1890s to 1950. These treaties gave Russia greater control over Manchuria and Outer Mongolia. A significant treaty was negotiated in 1945, which granted the Soviet Navy sea control over the Manchurian littorals and ensured the Chinese Communist victory in Northeast China. This secret diplomacy laid the groundwork for the Cold War in East Asia.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

During the Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to 1991, East Asia was a primary theater of conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. This region witnessed numerous hot and cold conflicts, particularly in China, Korea, and Vietnam. However, the struggle for dominance in East Asia had its roots in earlier periods, as this book demonstrates. The United States and Russia/the Soviet Union engaged in various efforts to exercise and expand control in the region, often through secret treaties.

One of the most significant secret treaties was negotiated between China and the USSR in the mid-1890s to 1950. These agreements, including several concerning the Chinese Eastern Railway, granted Russia greater control over Manchuria and Outer Mongolia. A pivotal moment occurred in 1945 when Stalin signed the Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty with Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Nationalists. This treaty included a secret protocol that granted the Soviet Navy sea control over the Manchurian littorals. This protocol excluded the US Navy from landing Nationalist troops at the major Manchurian ports, ensuring the Chinese Communist victory in Northeast China. From Manchuria, the Chinese Communists swiftly spread southward, conquering all of Mainland China.

In essence, this previously overlooked secret diplomacy laid the groundwork for the Cold War in East Asia. It set the stage for the geopolitical tensions and conflicts that would characterize the region for decades to come. The Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty and its secret protocol marked a significant turning point in the history of East Asia, as it solidified the Soviet Union's influence in the region and facilitated the eventual establishment of the Chinese Communist regime.

Weight: 531g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367777166