In the years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, we had to face difficult choices one after another. Territorial integrity is related to national sovereignty, and not an inch of land can be lost, but at the same time, it is also necessary to judge the hour and size up the situation and coordinate the overall situation. The demarcation of the China-Pakistan border in 1963 is a typical example. In the midst of these border talks, the mainland unexpectedly offered to cede the Khamjuti region to Pakistan. As a former vassal state, Kanjuti does not seem to be a stranger to the mainland, so why should it be surrendered at this time? What kind of considerations and games are hidden behind it? Let's step into history together and solve this mystery.
1. The mystery of Kanjuti's life experience
The name Kanjuti may be unfamiliar to many people today, but it has a long history. As early as the Tang Dynasty, it was a corner of "Little Bolu", although it was located in a remote area, it was once subordinated to the Central Plains Dynasty and became a vassal state of the Tang Empire. Unfortunately, this period of glory was short-lived and illusory, and the decline of the Tang Dynasty made it unable to maintain this vassalage relationship far away in the world.
For the next few centuries, the land of Kanjuti was forgotten by history. It was not until the Great Yuan Dynasty ascended the throne that Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan dynasty, once again incorporated this place into the territory. However, the good times did not last long, and the Ming and Qing dynasties were unable to maintain their territory due to the declining national strength, and Kanjuti returned to freedom.
In 1761, Kanjuti took the initiative to send envoys to the Qing Dynasty, agreeing to pay tribute every three years to regain the status of a vassal state. However, this relationship lasted only until the 80s of the 19th century, when the Qing Empire had little power left, and the Western power, Britain, took advantage of the situation and took possession of the important geographical fortress of Kanjuti.
After some bargaining, in 1892 China and Britain signed an agreement to designate Kanjuti as a "two-part country", subject to both China and British jurisdiction. Although this nominally maintained a relationship with the Central Plains Dynasty, in fact Kanjuti had completely become a British colony.
In this way, a subject country that was once high above continued to fall under the gluttony of the great powers. In 1947, Britain had to relinquish its rule in India under the heavy blow of the war, but before leaving, it divided the Indian continent in two, artificially creating two hostile states, India and Pakistan, and Kanjuti was included in the territory of Pakistan in this partition.
In the long history, Kanjuti's life experience can be said to have experienced countless ups and downs. It was the pride of the Tang Dynasty, but it also lost its protection in the decline of the Qing Dynasty, and finally became a pawn in the struggle of the great powers. The origin of all this can be traced back to its special and important geographical location.
2. The origin of Geng Biao's relationship with China and Pakistan
In the chess game of Kanjuti, a character named Geng Biao played an important role. Geng Biao was a soldier who was born and died, and he joined the Communist Party at a young age and participated in the arduous Long March. In this magnificent journey of defending the homeland and defending the country, he successively served in the Red Fourth Front Army, made many military exploits, and won the reputation of "the pioneer of the Red Fourth Front".
During the Liberation War, Geng Biao's "Yang Luogeng" Corps was even more dominant in Central China and made great achievements for the final victory. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in the face of the dilapidated national strength, there was an urgent need to dispatch talents. Based on Geng Biao's extraordinary ability and excellent style, Zhou Enlai personally assigned him a new post - as ambassador to Pakistan.
In March 1956, Geng Biao, the first ambassador to Pakistan, began his diplomatic career. Dedication and pragmatism are the principles of Geng Biao's way of doing things, and he has done his best in his work and won the praise of the locals. In September of the same year, Geng Biao returned to China to participate in the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China and had a glimpse of Chairman Mao Zedong.
On that occasion, Mao Zedong warmly invited Geng Biao to live in Zhongnanhai, and during the casual conversation, Geng Biao truthfully reported to the chairman the situation in Pakistan. Chairman Mao was deeply touched by this, and he understood that in order to break the external economic blockade, it was necessary to open a door to the Western world.
It was during that conversation that the chairman had high hopes for Geng Biao. He hoped that Geng Biao would use his talents to enhance the friendly relations between China and Pakistan and win a foothold for the country in this important geographical position in West Asia.
After returning to the station, Geng Biao redoubled his efforts to fulfill the chairman's entrustment. In 1957, Pakistan was hit by a severe natural disaster, and the country fell into a food crisis. Geng Biao was keenly aware of this rare opportunity, so he directly proposed to the central government to implement food aid to Pakistan.
After careful consideration, the central government decided to give away 4,000 tons of rice free of charge and sell another 6,000 tons of rice at a very low price to support it. This humanitarian act has aroused strong repercussions in Pakistan and has effectively enhanced China's positive image in the hearts of the Pakistani people.
Subsequently, Geng Biao actively promoted the establishment of air routes and land transportation between the two countries, vigorously developed economic and trade cooperation, and laid the foundation for further closer relations between the two countries. It can be said that it is precisely because Geng Biao has made the right efforts at the right time that he has created a valuable opportunity for the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Pakistan in the future.
Is it Geng's sincere and friendly attitude, or is it a wise strategic decision by the Chinese government? Or maybe it's both? In any case, this once heroic soldier still made outstanding contributions to the cause of the motherland in his own way.
3. China's strategic considerations for Pakistan
In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, mainland foreign policy revolved around a central goal: to rid the economic blockade and isolation of Western countries. And to achieve this, the key is to open the door to the Western world and win a place on the world stage.
However, this did not happen overnight. In the international environment at that time, Pakistan, as an Islamic country, originally had a pro-American and anti-China position. In 1954, Pakistan signed a defense treaty with the United States and joined two pro-American military blocs, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization and the Baghdad Treaty Organization.
In view of this situation, mainland leader Zhou Enlai once felt deeply helpless. In October 1954, when he met with a delegation of Pakistani women, he bluntly stated that the United States had initiated these treaties mainly out of hostility to China, and that Pakistan's accession was regrettable.
However, man is not as good as heaven. Time passed, and the situation quickly changed dramatically. As the U.S. strategic focus shifted in favor of India as a "big man," U.S. support for Pakistan was greatly reduced, leading to the latter's disappointment and dissatisfaction with the United States.
In August 1959, the famous Langling Incident broke out on the Sino-Indian border. In this military conflict, Pakistan was shocked by the heroic performance of the Chinese army and began to re-examine its relationship with China. In fact, the Langling incident marked an important watershed moment in the transition of China-Pakistan relations.
In the same year, Pakistani President Ayub Khan publicly stated that he would negotiate with China on the border issue at an appropriate time. In the face of this turning point, the mainland is naturally actively thinking about countermeasures.
Chairman Mao Zedong was one step ahead of others and attached great importance to this. He is well aware that although China is surrounded by the sea, its land routes have been blocked by the West, which has seriously restricted the mainland's right to speak on the world stage. To break this situation, the improvement of China-Pakistan relations will be a key move.
Therefore, Chairman Mao specially told Geng Biao, who was then ambassador to Pakistan, that he could use his wisdom and enthusiasm to inject new impetus into Sino-Pakistani relations and win a foothold for the motherland in this important geographical position.
Under Chairman Mao's earnest teaching, Geng Biao worked tirelessly after returning to work. He spared no effort to promote a series of practical cooperation, such as food aid, the opening of air routes, and economic and trade development, which laid the foundation for closer relations between the two countries.
It can be seen that for the central authorities, improving relations with Pakistan is not only an expedient measure, but also contains great strategic significance. Behind this decision is the strategic consideration of the mainland to break the economic blockade of the West and win the right to speak in the international community.
With the continuous development of China-Pakistan relations, this goal will eventually become possible. Once Pakistan becomes an important hub for China to the West, it will be an important step towards the growing strength of the motherland.
Fourth, smart compromise in border negotiations
While relations between China and Pakistan are getting closer, there is also the dawn of a resolution of the long-standing border dispute between the two countries. In 1959, when the Langling incident caused Pakistan to re-examine its relations with China, Pakistani President Ayub Khan later publicly stated that he would negotiate a border with China at an appropriate time.
A year earlier, Geng Biao, then China's ambassador to Pakistan, had begun preparations for the event. He realized that resolving the border issue is a crucial step forward in the relations between the two countries, but the road to negotiation will not be smooth sailing.
The two sides have a long history of disagreements over the border. As early as 1947, when Pakistan became independent, there were some territorial disputes in the area of its predecessor, the "Indo-Pakistani Border". Among them, the most difficult is the Kanjuti region, which is collectively known as "Northern Xinjiang".
As a former ancient vassal state, Kanjuti has a very entangled relationship with China. The two countries' disagreements over sovereignty over the region come at a time when Pakistan and India have previously had a serious dispute over sovereignty over the Kashmir region. Once the boundaries are drawn in these areas, the relevant contradictions may be exacerbated.
Therefore, even though the two sides expressed their willingness to talk in 1959, they faced many obstacles in implementing it. In order to open up the negotiations, Geng Biao decided to put forward a bold "Kanju for Kashan" plan: China would give up its claim to Kanjuti, and in exchange, Pakistan would also cede part of its territory in Kashmir in return.
As soon as this plan was proposed, it sparked strong controversy within the two countries. In China, many experts and scholars have questioned why this former subject state should be ceded to another country. And in Pakistan, the abandonment of land in Kashmir is also deeply disturbing for many.
However, it was in this situation that no one was reconciled that the two sides finally reached a historic compromise. In March 1963, then Premier Zhou Enlai personally reviewed the relevant bills and made a final ruling.
After weighing the pros and cons, he believed that although the cession of Kandjuti would be a loss of territory, it would be in exchange for Pakistan's support for the mainland. More importantly, this decision also demonstrates China's broad-mindedness and demeanor in dealing with territorial issues, which is conducive to boosting the country's influence in the neighborhood.
Therefore, in this chess game related to national sovereignty, the central government made a wise choice. On March 2, 1963, the two sides formally signed a border agreement in Beijing. Under the agreement, China recognized Kandjuti as belonging to Pakistan, which in turn incorporated part of its territory in Kashmir into China.
The negotiations lasted four years, and the two sides made historic concessions on the thorny territorial issue. This not only clears the way for the development of bilateral relations, but also demonstrates the Chinese government's wisdom in handling international disputes, laying the foundation for more international support in the future.
Undoubtedly, the choice was well thought out. Although some of the land was abandoned, the benefits were long-term and deep. This seemingly land-cutting deal has actually won China an international reputation and influence, paving the way for future development.
5. Kanjuti people who left Xinjiang
The final result of the border negotiations between China and Pakistan was that China ceded the ancient territory of Kanjuti. This is undoubtedly a difficult decision, but it is also an extremely wise chess game layout for the long-term interests of the country.
However, the result of this painstaking diplomacy has largely sacrificed the vital interests of the local residents of Kanjuti. These people have lived on this land for generations, and they have a flesh-and-blood connection with the mountains and trees here. But the signing of a paper agreement changed their fate forever.
The first to react was the religious leader of the Khamjuti region, Kajiaka Khan. Although he is over 80 years old, he still regards it as a supreme honor for his Muslim motherland to belong to China. When he learned that the central government would relinquish sovereignty over Kanjuti, he became furious and refused to admit it.
Soon, a local commotion broke out. The local people of Kanjuti were indignant at this unwavering decision. Although the vast majority of them believe in Islam, they are also loyal to the motherland and are not willing to easily give up their ties with the Chinese land.
In the face of this strong public pressure, the central government has made a decision, but in order to show the greatest goodwill, it still provides a way for local residents to "return to the motherland" - all Kanjuti who do not want to join Pakistan can move to Xinjiang with their families.
The move was immediate and quickly won the hearts and minds of the local people. In 1963 alone, nearly 10,000 Kanjuti people made the difficult choice of leaving their homeland and leaving their homeland to seek a living in Xinjiang.
This long journey was embarked on by religious leaders who understood the people and ordinary people who spoke their mother tongue. In this crowd of people, there are elderly people who fly away with the family motto passed down for generations, there are middle-aged people who carry heavy burdens to open up new horizons for their families, and there are children who gradually grow up on the way to travel.
What they experienced was a thrilling migration. Some families have traveled thousands of miles on foot, while others have crossed the ocean in rudimentary carriages and horses, but the ultimate destination for all is the embrace of the motherland.
The difficult road has not been smooth. During the long journey, they not only endured the harsh conditions of heat and drought and lack of food, but also encountered the threat of banditry and raid. But they all gritted their teeth and went all the way with perseverance.
When these Hakka sons and daughters finally set foot on the hot land of Xinjiang, all the hardships will be over. What greeted them was the resettlement house personally prepared for them by the party and the government, which carried the friendship and ardent expectations of the compatriots. Since then, the Kanjuti people have started a new life and gradually integrated into the arms of the Xinjiang family.
end
In life, there are always some opportunities that you can't choose. For the Kanjuti people, the fate of being forced to leave their homeland may be doomed to endless regrets. But they interpreted their love for the motherland with their actions, and they also conquered the long road of life with courage and tenacity. It is precisely this simple and great national spirit that has built the foundation of the motherland.