After centuries of peaceful frictions over border and territories, in 1969, China and Russia engaged in a two-week armed conflict for a small island named Damansky – or Zhanbao Dao (“precious”) in Chinese – in the Soviet part of Manchuria. The border dispute strained the Sino-Soviet relations and divided the two communist allies.

Russian expansion into Chinese domains

The Russian and Chinese empires were never really happy about the border line between them, with Beijing continuing even today accusing Moscow of occupation of “historical Chinese lands” since the latter’s expansion into Siberia to the Pacific. In 1689, the two powers draw a border line on a map for the first time, but didn’t bother with its strict demarcation.

A view of the Zhanbao Dao Island from China.

The Russian-Chinese border remained very porous and easy to cross for merchants and hunters, and never properly guarded for more than two centuries.

According to the practice existing at that time, if the border lied along a river, then the actual demarcation followed along the main fairway, thereby providing equal access to water resources for both sides. In 1911, sensing the weakening of the Chinese state after the devastating opium wars, Russia forced its way with a deal that ultimately stripped China of its part of the Ussuri River along with all islands within it.

The location of the Zhanbao Dao Island. 

When the communists formed the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Soviet Union – which can be referred to as a communist-ruled Russian empire – stood by their Chinese brothers in ideology and the two countries became allies against capitalists. Although the Chinese never forgot about “the stolen lands,” the border remained open and transparent: Chinese farmers were free to bring their cattle to graze in Soviet border passes, gather firewood or cut grass on the disputed islands of the Ussuri River.

Dictator dies

Things changed, however, when Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili) died in 1953. His death marked the beginning of political melting and condemnation of his cult of personality in the Soviet Union, which Chinese leader Mao Zedong wrongly perceived as a weakness of the Soviet system and a U-turn from communist ideology.

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Stalin was a model of leadership for Zedong, who both respected and was afraid of his Soviet counterpart. Once he was gone, Mao reflected, a small territorial victory over the northern neighbor could sell well to the starving masses poisoned by the “make China great again” dream.

Zedong’s increasing criticism determined Moscow to recall its industrial specialists from Chinese projects starting 1960. In response, the crossing of the Soviet/Russian border by Chinese farmers increased in number and frequency – from a dozen people a month to hundreds of individuals a day.

Chinese leader Mao Zedong and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during a meeting in Moscow.

By 1963, at least 100,000 Chinese nationals illegally entered the Soviet-controlled territory without any legal consequences. That year, Moscow proposed Beijing to settle the border differences and in 1964 the sides sat to draft an agreement. Within months, by August, they found understanding on all issues; China, in particular, regained the fairway demarcation clause and expected to get back the disputed islands in Soviet possession.

But in October 1964, Nikita Khrushchev was deposited from the Soviet Union leadership and the new secretary-general and premier, Leonid Brezhnev, had other priorities than China. Some historians claim that Brezhnev was upset by Zedong’s tone of communication and ordered the military to seal off the border and prevent undocumented Chinese from entering the Soviet Union. He also prohibited the use of weapons against Chinese intruders.

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By other accounts, Khrushchev got enough of territorial concessions to Beijing and intended to pull out when he famously said at an official meeting that “China wants too much, so it’ll get nothing.” Perhaps his successor simply liked this idea.

Kung Fu vs. Box

The first clashes on the Damansky/Zhanbao Dao Island began in 1967. Chinese and Soviet border guards used to line up face to face, yelling, punching and pushing each other. Then the Chinese provocateurs armed themselves with sticks for hand-to-hand combat with the Soviet troops. Hundreds of fights took place between 1967 and 1969, each side fielding out between a dozen and 1,500 men to exchange blows and wrestle.

The Russians learned to bring tall and strong men in order to fend off the Chinese but their opponents soon called in martial arts masters to beat them back. The island turned into a true arena for kung-fu vs. box mass bouts, which frequently ended in broken jaws or ribs, bleeding and concussions on both sides.

Soviet border guards on armored personnel carriers heading to fend off Chinese counterparts with long sticks, February 1969.

Neither side used firearms or cold weapons during those altercations. Until March 1969.

First shots

During the night of 2 March 1969, a squad of Chinese military (from 77 to 300 men, according to various sources) secretly landed on the Damansky Island and began preparing firing positions. Everyone wore thick sheepskin coats and sweaters under white camouflage coats were on top, which made it possible to lie in the snow for quite a long time without freezing. Their weapons – automatic and machine guns – were wrapped in white material.