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4284 - Jixi, Heilongjiang, China

A beautiful card from Jixi, in north east China. Jixi 鸡西 has a population of 1.5 million people. It is 30 kilometres from the border of Russia. It is an important coal mining base in China. 

Zhenbao Island 珍宝岛 is located near Jixi and was the site of a territorial dispute with the Soviet Union in 1969. The island is located on the Ussuri River. 

On 2 March 1969, People's Liberation Army
soldiers ambushed Soviet border guards on Zhenbao. The Soviets suffered 58 dead and wounded, while the Chinese reported 29 dead (the Soviets claim it was 248 Chinese soldiers killed, and 32 Soviet border guards killed with 14 wounded). On 15 March, Chinese artillery fire bombarded the island forcing the Soviet to leave. The Soviets counterattacked with tanks and mechanized infantry and artillery, forcing the Chinese to retreat. There were a few small skirmishes after that. 

On 21 March, the Soviets tried to call China to discuss a ceasefire. Mao refused the take the call. Mao began to prepare for war with the Soviet Union. Diplomacy by many countries 

In 1991, the Sino-Soviet Border Agreement was signed between China and the Soviet Union. There was some minor territorial changes along the border. China received Zhenbao Island in the treaty and Soviet troops withdrew. Today it is a wetlands national nature reserve. 

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