Russia fears China could seize territory amid European war, leaked FSB document reveals paranoia within

Time of India

21 hours ago

A secret Russian security document has leaked. It shows that
Russia
is scared
China
might take parts of its Far East land, like Vladivostok. The document is from Russia's Federal Security Service and has 8 pages. Even though Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping act like close friends in public, the FSB thinks China is quietly trying to grab Russian land, according to The New York Times report.
But this document shows that Russian spies are secretly very suspicious of China. The paper talks about a 'tense and fast-moving' spy war going on between Russia and China, even though they act friendly, as per the report by Newsweek.
The leaked document
A secret FSB unit called China 'the enemy' and said China is a major danger to Russian national security. The two countries have trust issues because of their history; they share a 2,615-mile border.
Some Chinese nationalists say old treaties were unfair and Russia wrongly took land like Vladivostok in the 1800s. In 1860 in the Treaty of Peking Russia got Vladivostok from China. This deal set the border along the Amur and Ussuri rivers, as stated in the report by Newsweek.
The FSB says China is now researching old Chinese communities in the area to prove it was originally Chinese land. In 2023, China's Ministry of Natural Resources said new maps must use Chinese names for Vladivostok and 7 other cities. The document says China may be trying to convince locals in those areas that the land should belong to China, as per The New York Times report.
Live Events
Worries of FSB
The FSB says China wants control or access to the Arctic and Northern Sea Route, a shortcut for ships from Asia to Europe. This route would help China export goods faster and cheaper. Russian intelligence also fears China is trying to steal Russian military secrets, including details of how Russia is fighting in Ukraine.
The document says Chinese spies are trying to get Russian agents and even Russians married to Chinese people to work for them. It also says China is keeping a close watch on 20,000 Russian students in China and giving lie detector tests to Chinese agents when they return from Russia, as per the Newsweek report.
Paul Kolbe, ex-CIA officer and expert at Harvard, said Russian intelligence never fully trusts China, no matter how friendly things look. He said the 'no-limits partnership' is useful for now, but Russia still sees China as a long-term danger, according to The New York Times report.
FAQs
Q1. Why is Russia scared of China?
Russia thinks China wants to take back old land and steal secrets.
Q2. What is the leaked Russian document about?
It shows Russian spies think China is a threat, not a friend.
Economic Times WhatsApp channel
)