Jan
S. Krogh's Geosite: China
- North Korea - Russia (CNKPRU) Triline Border
According
to the Russian view, a zone from the line between marker 3 to marker 2 and
to the Korean-Russian railway bridge is still disputed at the China -
North Korea - Russian (CNKPRU) Triline Border. This is the World's
easternmost border where three countries meet. The main issue with
the treaty is
where to determine the eastern river bank as the river is changing it's
path at this point. The Russian part demands a
river bank as marked as the green line, while the Korean side appears to
insist on a bank which goes with the blue line. The debated area is
therefore the yellow shaded area.
On June 20, 2002, Wang Guangya, Chinese deputy foreign minister and North Korean ambassador to
China Choi Jinsu, and Goncharov, Charge d'Affaires of the Russian Embassy in China, jointly signed in Beijing
the "Protocol among the Government of the People's Republic of China, the Government of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Tri-junction of the Boundary between and among the Three Countries in the Tumen
River". 1)The actual content of this
protocol is still not known, but it might be the 1998 Draft Treaty quoted
below.
There
is no CNKPRU tripoint here, but a CNKPKPRU tripoint where the
Korean border and the Russian border meet the joint Chinese-Korean border 2).
There is also a CNKPRU triline where the common CNKP river
border meets the Russian part of the river. Eventually there is also a CNCNKPRU
tripoint border where Chinese land border meets the CNKP border and
the RU border. This last point is about 83 metres southwest of the CNRU
boundary marker no 423 and Treaty Marker no 1.
According
to the Russian view the Korean-Russian river border goes between the third
and fourth bridge segment, counted from Russian side. This is not pointed
out in the draft treaty (see below). The Russian side also
maintains that the border goes from border marker 423 (Marker 1) and
straight to this
river bridge point. This may be the old borderline which still is de jure
boundary line as the border treaty still is not signed. The new border
should follow the river midline, which will vary out from on the water
level.
Article
3 of the Draft Treaty gives the positions of marker 1 and marker 2 (Pyongyang
co-ordinate system). Assuming that the needed correction for WGS 84 system
is 95,5 m in 67,5°, we get the new locations marked above as
"423/1?" and "2?". During our 2011 Scandinavian
expedition we found marker no 3 at 42° 25' 14,6" N 130° 38'
24,4" E (WGS 84), which gives us a practical perfect line where
marker 1 is only 2,8 m from the direct line between marker 3 and marker
2. This can be explained out from the fact that we do not know the
correct of Pyongyang co-ordinate system coefficients. (Click on the image in order to get a higher resolution picture.)
On
the reaching of an Agreement between the Government of the Russian
Federation, the Government of the Chinese People's Republic,
and theGovernment of the Korean Democratic People's
Republic on thedefinition of the line of delimitation
of the boundary water areas ofthe
three countries on the Tumannaja river.
The
Government of the Russian Federation decrees:
To
approve the draft, presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Russian Federation, in agreement with the Ministry of
Defense ofthe Russian Federation, the Federal Boundary
Service of the RussianFederation, and the Ministry of
Justice of the Russian Federation, ofthe Agreement
between the Government of the Russian Federation, theGovernment
of the Chinese People's Republic, and the Government ofthe
Korean Democratic People's Republic on the definition of the lineof
delimitation of the boundary water areas of the three countries onthe
Tumannaja river (annexed to this decree).
To
instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
to sign the said Agreement in the name of the Russian
Federation,following the reaching of an agreement with
the Chinese and Koreansides, while allowing it to make
changes in and additions to thisdraft
as long as these are not of principal importance.
The
Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation,
S.
Kirienko
Draft
AGREEMENT
between
the Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of
the Chinese People's Republic, and the Government of the KoreanDemocratic People's Republic on the definition of the line ofdelimitation of the boundary water areas of the three countries
onthe Tumannaja
river.
The
Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of the
Chinese People's Republic, and the Government of the KoreanDemocratic People's Republic, hereafter named the Sides,aiming to strengthen and develop their good-neighbourly and
friendlyties, governed by the principles of the
reciprocal recognition ofsovereignty, territorial
integrity, equality, and reciprocaladvantages,on
the basis of the existing boundary agreements between the threecountries,with the aim of defining a line, forming a boundary on the
Tumannajariver (Tumèn'czjan, Tumangan) between the
water area of the RussianFederation and the water area
of the Korean Democratic People'sRepublic, and the
joint boundary water area of the Chinese People'sRepublic
and the Korean Democratic People's Republic (hereafter: linedelimiting
the boundary water areas of the three countries),have
agreed to the following:
Article
1
1.
The line delimiting the boundary water areas of the three
countries on the Tumannaja river is a straight line, runningperpendicular from boundary marker no. 423 on the
Russian-Chinesestate boundary to the line in the middle
of the main channel of theriver
in between the two river banks.
This
line marks the boundary of the Chinese-Korean joint boundary
water area on the
Tumannaja river.
2.
The state boundary meeting point of the Russian Federation, the
Chinese People's Republic, and the Korean Democratic People'sRepublic on the Tumannaja river (hereafter – state boundary
meetingpoint of the three countries) is located on the
point where the linedelimiting the boundary water areas
of the three countries intersectsthe
middle line of the main channel of the river.
This
point marks at the same time the starting point of the Russian-Korean
state boundary.
Article
2
In
the case of any natural changes taking place on the Tumannaja
river, the location of the line delimiting the boundary water
areasof the three countries will not change until the
Sides agreeotherwise.
Article
3
1.
The line delimiting the boundary water areas of the three
countries and the state boundary meeting point of the three
countrieswill be demarcated by three markers, placed on
both banks of theTumannaja river, in line with the line
delimiting the boundary waterareas
of the three countries.
As
marker no. 1 will serve boundary marker no. 423 on the Russian-
Chinese
boundary, located on the left bank of the Tumannaja river,and
has the following co-ordinates:
Lat.
= 42°25'10,2" N.
Long.
= 130°38'17,7" E.
Marker
no. 2 will be erected on the right bank of the Tumannaja river
on Korean territory and
has the following co-ordinates:
Lat.
= 42°24'59,5" N.
Long.
= 130°38'06,5" E.
Marker
no. 3 will be erected on the left bank of the Tumannaja river
on Russian territory, its geographical co-ordinates will beadditionally established
in the terrain.
The
co-ordinates of the markers are established according to the
Pyongyang co-ordinate
system.
A
boundary marker on the state boundary meeting point of the three
countries, which is located on the water level of the Tumannajariver, will not be
erected.
2.
Marker no. 1 consists of a four-sided granite marker on a concrete
base. The side facing Russia bears the inscription in the
Russianlanguage "RF"; the side facing China
bears the inscription in theChinese language
"China", above the name of the country the statecoat-of-arms
of the CPR has been fixed. Under the names of thecountries,
the number of the boundary marker "423" and the year ofits
establishment "1993" have been inscribed in Arabic numerals. Onthe other two sides of the
marker there are no inscriptions.
Marker
no. 2 consists of a three-sided granite marker on a concrete
base. The side facing Russia bears the inscription in the
Russianlanguage "Russia", the side facing
China bears the inscription in theChinese language
"China", the side facing Korea bears the inscriptionin
the Korean language "Korea". Under the names of the countries,
thenumber of the marker and the year of establishment
are indicated inArabic
numerals.
Marker
no. 3 consists of a three-sided granite marker on a concrete
base. The side facing Russia bears the inscription in the
Russianlanguage "Russia", the side facing
China bears the inscription in theChinese language
"China", the side facing Korea bears the inscriptionin
the Korean language "Korea". Under the names of the countries,
thenumber of the marker and the year of establishment
are indicated inArabic
numerals.
Drawings
and dimensions of the markers mentioned are annexed to this
Agreement.
Article
4.
1.
The Sides will co-operate and will take the appropriate measures
to prevent that the markers are moved, damaged, or lost.None of the Sides has the right to unilaterally erect other
markersthat touch
on the goals of this Agreement.
2.
The Chinese Side is responsible for the conservation and repair of
marker no. 1, the Korean Side is responsible for that of marker
no.2, and the
Russian side is responsible for that of marker no. 3.
3.
In the event of the discovery by one of the Sides that any of the
markers has been moved, damaged, or lost, this Side should
inform theother two Sides immediately. The Side that is
responsible for theconservation and repair of the
marker involved has to repair themarker in the presence
of representatives of the other two Sides, orerect a
new marker on the place of the former, in accordance with thedrawings
and dimensions as indicated in the annex to this Agreement.
On
the re-erection of a marker or the erection of a new marker the
Sides will draw up and
sign a joint protocol.
4.
In case it is necessary to change the location of any of the
markers, the Sides may do so after an agreement has been
reached. Inthat case the change in the location of the
marker may not lead to achange in the line delimiting
the boundary water areas of the threecountries or a
change in the state boundary meeting point of thethree
countries, established in the present Agreement.
On
the changing of the location of a marker the Sides will draw up
and sign a joint protocol.
Article
5
After
the coming into force of this Agreement, the Sides will, in the
framework of the trilateral talks, define the concrete location
ofthe state boundary meeting point of the three
countries and the co-ordinates of marker no. 3, will erect markers no. 2
and 3, will drawup a descriptive protocol of the state
boundary meeting point of thethree countries between
the Government of the Russian Federation, theGovernment
of the Chinese People's Republic, and the Government ofthe
Korean Democratic People's Republic and will draw up a map of thearea
of the state boundary meeting point of the three countries.
Article
6
The
present Agreement comes into force at the time of its signing.
Made
up in…, the …th of …, 199…, in three copies, each of them in the
Russian, Chinese, and Korean languages, each of the texts
havingequal power.
For
the Government of the Russian Federation
For
the Government of the Chinese People's Republic
For
the Government of the Korean Democratic People's Republic
