The Russian Empire Policy on the Formation of Population in the Leased from China Territories (1896—1917)

Abstract

The leased territories status within Russian Empire in the late XIX – early XX centuries had exclusion zone of CER (concession) and Kwantung Leased Territory (international lease). Despite the differences in the legal status, Russia looked at these territories as part of itself, mastering them in such a way as to create conditions for the consolidation of «Yellow Russia» to political space of the empire. Most important role in this process was played by formation of population and creation of conditions for its life and activities in these territories. A number of factors influenced on formation of population at leased territories. First of all, it was sovereign territory of China, which meant Chinese population continued to live on these territories after Russia leased it. Key problem was that Chinese had a negative attitude to presence of any foreigners in Middle Kingdom, they did not want to obey alien administration. The second factor was presence of foreigners – representatives of European states. Many of them (especially subjects of Great powers of Europe) perceived Russian presence in China as competition and a threat to interests of their states and willingly participated in actions aimed at weakening Russia's position. The third factor was related with remoteness of leased territories from populated (and overpopulated) European center of Russia. In immediate vicinity were territories of Siberia and Russian Far East, where «Russian element» was not enough, the population was small. It was difficult to use demographic resource of nearest Russian territories for settlement of «Yellow Russia». This factor was connected with peculiarities of national and religious policy of the empire, which did not want to see marginal and stigmatized ethnic and religious groups in leased territories. All these factors required special political measures, in which the rational and expedient were intertwined with ideological and political, not always subordinated to pragmatic.