In the history of the Qing Dynasty, Tsarist Russia was an issue that could not be circumvented. This nation, which had been ruled by the Mongols for 250 years, had created a miracle of rapid rise and more than 400 times in its territory in modern times. In the late Qing Dynasty, due to a series of problems such as political decay and closed country, China at that time was very backward and poor, and in the large-scale invasion of imperialism, the Qing government was unable to resist this, so it signed many unfair treaties, not only paid a large amount of silver but also ceded a large area of land. Although some have been recovered, some have not yet been recovered, of which Tsarist Russia is the country with the largest land area, with a total area of more than 1.5 million square kilometers. So why didn't China ," then, "take advantage of its illness and ask for its life" to recover these lost lands? There are four main reasons for this.
First, the issue of comprehensive strength. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the skinny camel was bigger than a horse and still strong in military strength, with military weapons far more advanced than China's at the time, and many of China's weapons depended on Russian imports. Economically, although China has begun to reform and open up, its economic strength is still weak, and there is a big gap between the two.
Second, it is limited by historical treaties. In 1860, Tsarist Russia forced the Qing government to sign the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited most of the territory, population, military, and of course, the historical treaty. If China wants to take back Vladivostok, it will certainly be limited by historical treaties.
Third, the international environment. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States regarded China as an imaginary enemy, and if we send troops to recover it, then the United States will definitely use its hegemonism to sanction our country, and China's attempt to forcibly recover the lost land in the last years of the Qing Dynasty will intensify the contradictions with Russia. At that time, the world pattern was stable, the territories and borders of various countries were basically determined, and everyone adhered to the principle of peaceful development and coexisted in friendship. Moreover, At that time, Outer Mongolia had been independent for several decades, and China was a small number of socialist countries, and if China forcibly took it back, it would inevitably be opposed by all countries in the world, which would be unfavorable to China.
Fourth, geographical location and population restrictions. The land occupied by Tsarist Russia at that time was the border between the two countries, which was relatively easy for Russia to manage and control, and was not afraid of China's blockade. Many of the territories occupied by Tsarist Russia in those years were basically turned into Russian military strongholds, and heavy troops were stationed. Vladivostok, for example, has even become an important Russian port in the Far East and a key hub for the Trans-Siberian Railway, so it is absolutely impossible for Russia to give up. After the invasion, the Tsarist Russia moved in a large number of Russians, so that even if it wanted to take back the area, it was bound to be strongly resisted by the local population. Once the occupants of the land have undergone a fundamental change, it is only a piece of land that can be returned.
Although it is very regrettable to say, it has to be admitted that according to China's national strength at that time, there was really no way to recover these lands. We should recognize that the development of national power today is not subject to the size of the country as it did in the past. In the more than 30 years since the reform and opening up, China's economy has far exceeded Russia, so I believe that one day these territories will be recovered, China is the world's oldest civilization, although there have been humiliations, but we still came out of hardship, one day we will become the most influential country in the world, those countries that have imposed humiliation on China will begin to hide and cry!