Nerchinsk, Treaty of 269 Periods Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999; Najita, Tetsuo, ed Tokugawa Political Writings New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998; Nosco, Peter, ed Confucianism and Tokugawa Culture Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997 John Walsh Nerchinsk, Treaty of The Treaty of Nerchinsk, 1689, was China’s first treaty with Russia and was important because it settled the boundary between the two empires and began diplomatic relations on an equal footing In the mid17th century, Russia’s eastward conquest across Siberia reached the Amur River region on the boundary of the newly established Qing (Ch’ing) Empire in China In 1675, Russia sent Nicolai G Spathary as ambassador to the Chinese court, and he was received by the Kangxi (K’ang-hsi) emperor; he learned all he could about China but otherwise returned home empty-handed Kangxi’s early years were focused on suppressing a serious revolt in southern and southwestern China (called the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, ended in 1681) and the Ming loyalist movement on Taiwan (ended in 1683) Next he dealt with Russia’s advance to areas claimed by China by ordering General Pengcun, at the head of 10,000 soldiers, 5,000 sailors, and 200 pieces of artillery, to take on the small Russian force at Albazin in 1685, which he captured and then returned home The reinforced Russians however returned, rebuilt their fort at Albazin, and continued to raid the Amur region China did not wish to continue a protracted conflict that might drive the yet unpacified Olod Mongols to the Russian fold Thus the two countries agreed to negotiations at Nerchinsk in 1688 The Chinese delegation was headed by Prince Songgotu and had two Jesuit priests, JeanFranỗois Gerbillon and Thomas Pereira, as interpreters The Russian delegation was led by Fedor A Golovin Each delegation was supporter by a large contingent of soldiers, the Chinese one being much larger The Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed on September 7, 1689 It had six articles and was in five languages, Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, Russian, and Latin, with the Latin version being the official text The treaty delineated the boundary between Russian Siberia and Chinese Manchuria along the Argun and Amur Rivers to the mouth of the Kerbechi, and along the Outer Xingan (Hsing-an, Stenovoi in Russian) to the sea The Russian-built fort at Albazin was to be demolished and Russian residents there were A portrait of the Kangxi emperor in court dress, from a silk scroll hanging in the Palace Museum in Beijing to be repatriated It also provided for the right of residence and trade between peoples of the two countries, the issuing of passports, and the extradition of fugitives The Treaty of Nerchinsk was negotiated between two equal countries Russia gained 93,000 square miles of hitherto disputed territory that included Nerchinsk while China secured Albazin and peace with Russia that would allow it to deal with and eventually defeat the western or Olod Mongols Most significantly it regularized Chinese-Russian relations and began the periodic exchange of diplomatic missions between the two countries See also Jesuits in Asia; Kaikhta, Treaty of; Qing (Ch’ing) dynasty, rise and zenith Further reading: Mancall, Mark Russia and China: Their Diplomatic Relations to 1728 Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971; Sebes, Joseph S The Jesuits and the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nerchinsk, 1689: The Diary of Thomas Pereira Rome: Institutum Historicum, 1961 Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur