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Countries Bordering China Since 1914

Name the countries that have bordered China since 1914.
Some of these countries no longer exist
Includes colonial territories that were leased
Not counting foreign concessions within Shanghai, Tianjin, etc...
Quiz by relessness
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Last updated: May 4, 2017
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First submittedNovember 27, 2012
Times taken69,195
Average score81.0%
Rating4.94
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Dates
Country
1689–1922
Russia
1842–1997
United Kingdom
1887–1999
Portugal
1898–1946
France
1895–
Afghanistan
1905–1945
Japan
1911–
Mongolia
1912–1951
Tibet
Dates
Country
1922–1991
Soviet Union
1945–
North Korea
1945–1976
North Vietnam
1947–
India
1947–
Pakistan
1948–
Myanmar
1951–
Bhutan
Dates
Country
1951–
Nepal
1953–
Laos
1976–
Vietnam
1991–
Kazakhstan
1991–
Kyrgyzstan
1991 -
Russia
1991–
Tajikistan
+4
Level 78
Sep 20, 2017
Shouldn't the Republic of China be included at some point?
+5
Level 82
Sep 20, 2017
Not really. The leaders of the ROC fled to an island. They never controlled any land that bordered land controlled by the PRC.
+8
Level 70
Sep 21, 2017
There's a difference between lines of control and borders. You're right that under a definition of "which Weberian areas of control did that authority with the greatest claim to representing China have its territory abut," you would have to list the PRC and ROC (as well as earlier Communist states within China).
+2
Level 74
Jun 28, 2020
This is not entirely true. The PRC was declared on October 1st, 1949. Wikipedia says that the Guomindang retreat to Taiwan occurred in December of 1949. There were still Nationalist military forces in Western China, and Wikipedia lists military actions that occurred after the proclamation of the PRC. Additionally, Hainan was not captured until April 1950.

I'm not sure that the ROC should be included, but they did control land that bordered land controlled by the PRC.

+4
Level 60
Aug 17, 2020
What? Where do you think they retreated from, thin air? Of course Chankaishek controlled land on the mainland, bordering PRC, where would the PRC madetheir revolution? Do you think they just popped into existence in a land that was ungoverned before?
+2
Level 82
Aug 26, 2020
Folgore: yes. That theory would make the most sense. Though to be honest I thought simply they were chased out of the country in a couple of months and were in retreat most of the time so not really in control of the land they were surrendering. Frostar's dates above seem to confirm this.
+6
Level 75
Sep 20, 2017
Wow, didn't even think about the European countries in spite of the caveat. Great quiz, relessness.
+1
Level 66
Sep 20, 2017
You missed thailand
+7
Level 76
Sep 20, 2017
Thailand does not have a common border with China. Before WWII, it was called Siam.
+9
Level 82
Sep 22, 2017
and it didn't have a common border with China then, either, so whatever you called it is somewhat irrelevant.
+3
Level 77
Sep 20, 2017
Missed France... should have known.
+1
Level 48
Aug 23, 2023
I missed Tibet. Facepalm!
+14
Level 75
Sep 20, 2017
Germany should be on this list - it held Tsingtau till 1914
+2
Level 55
Dec 3, 2017
austria hungary as well
+4
Level 71
Aug 26, 2020
Austria only had a concession in Tianjing (excluded in the caveat), Germany had a city much like uk had Hong Kong or Portugal had Macau. So I second that.
+3
Level 78
Aug 27, 2020
Hence the decent beer.
+2
Level 41
Sep 20, 2017
Nice Quiz!
+6
Level 35
Sep 21, 2017
Austria-Hungary owned a city in mainland China in 1914 until 1918, so it should be here.
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
It was a concession. See the caveat.
+9
Level 55
Sep 30, 2017
Sikkim?
+2
Level 73
Mar 21, 2018
I guess it counts under both UK and India, which are already in the quiz.

"The Kingdom of Sikkim became a princely state of British India in 1890. After 1947, Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the republic of India. In 1975, the Indian military deposed the Sikkimese monarchy. A referendum in 1975 led to Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state." --wiki

+6
Level 55
Aug 26, 2020
but if it had to vote to join India then it wasn't already part of India.
+2
Level 56
Nov 24, 2021
Puerto Rico would have to vote to be part of the United States yet would not be considered a sovereign country before then but a territory of the United States. Same with Gibraltar and the United Kingdom or New Caledonia and France or many other examples.
+1
Level 76
Nov 22, 2017
What about Bangladesh?
+8
Level 74
Feb 5, 2018
What about it?
+3
Level 89
Aug 17, 2019
The country or concert?
+4
Level 66
Aug 26, 2020
Bangladesh doesn't border China
+2
Level 71
May 28, 2018
10/10 -IGN
+4
Level 50
May 29, 2018
Great quiz, but could British India, British Raj, French Indochina, Macau and Hong Kong be accepted as type-ins for UK, France and Portugal?

I didn't get these, because the colonies and territories were not actually part of these countries, so I never thought to type them.

+3
Level 55
Jul 26, 2018
What about Xinjiang, Guangxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Yunnan, Ma, Shanxi, Mengjiang, Manchukuo, Zhili, Fengitan, Guominjun etc
+4
Level 66
Aug 26, 2020
Most of those are/were parts of China and are/were not considered sovereign countries.
+4
Level 66
Jan 19, 2019
Can the Far Eastern Republic be considered as well? It bordered China in 1920-1922
+3
Level 58
Apr 10, 2019
Why Korea isn't here?
+4
Level 66
Aug 26, 2020
iirc, it was part of the Japanese empire 1910-1945 and split in 1945.
+2
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
Also only bordered Russia before 1910.
+5
Level 48
May 7, 2019
Shouldn't Sikkim be on here?
+9
Level 65
Jul 28, 2019
Tuva bordered China between 1921 and 1944. It was a Soviet puppet state, but formally independent nonetheless, similar to the Eastern Block after WWII.
+1
Level 69
Aug 30, 2022
I agree, it should be added.
+1
Level 47
Aug 30, 2022
RESPECT FOR TUVA
+3
Level 56
Nov 29, 2019
More a Korea co jako vole

se pojebte třeba než začnete crookovat

+1
Level 51
Feb 19, 2020
That moment when you start typing in Uzbekistan but it gives you the United Kingdom after typing Uk
+14
Level 75
Aug 26, 2020
That's some bad typing.
+1
Level 60
Aug 9, 2021
Uzbekistan is not an answer.
+2
Level 60
Jan 28, 2022
Yeah but they meant they tried Uzbekistan.
+5
Level 75
May 5, 2020
Technically Taiwan (or Republic of China) should be here as they bordered each other in the Chinese Civil War
+4
Level 35
Jul 1, 2020
Sikkim is missing.
+5
Level 35
Aug 9, 2020
Sikkim
+4
Level 62
Aug 26, 2020
Sikkim should definitely be on here.
+5
Level 59
Aug 26, 2020
What about Sikkim 1945-50?
+5
Level 59
Aug 26, 2020
What about Sikkim 1945-50?
+1
Level 70
Aug 26, 2020
Sikkim Manchuria Persia are missing
+3
Level 66
Aug 26, 2020
Manchuria is part of China. Persia is Iran, and Iran does not border China
+4
Level 70
Oct 17, 2020
Manchuria was a country from before ww2 until Japanese surrender. The Japanese invaded from Manchuria so it wasn’t in China
+4
Level 50
Aug 26, 2020
sikkim?
+2
Level 57
Aug 26, 2020
how about Korea?
+4
Level 56
Aug 26, 2020
Shouldn't Sikkim be added? It was an independent protectorate of India until 1975.
+2
Level 50
Aug 28, 2020
I only missed North Vietnam :(
+5
Level 73
Jan 25, 2021
Kingdom of Sikkim - 1947-1975

- British protectorate ended in 1947, independent Indian protectorate from 1950 to 1975

Manchukuo - 1932-1945

- Manchukuo was no doubt a puppet state of Japan, but unlike puppet states like Far Eastern Republic, it had certain level of control over its governance and international recognition at the time (Poland, El Salvador, Romania, Finland, Germany, etc). Other Japanese puppet states in China did not see recognition and governance stretching as far as Manchukuo so I suppose you can allow Manchukuo and no more.

Feel free to add or ignore these. They were states formed during the Russian Siberian war which did not see proper governance over their territories and receive international recognition. (+ Far Eastern Republic was a puppet state of Soviet Russia practically just an exclave given nominal independence for convenience)

- Green Ukraine (1920-1922)

- Far Eastern Republic (1920-1922)

+5
Level 73
Jan 25, 2021
Also Germany did own Qingdao de jure until 1919 and it held it de facto as well for most of 1914, so Germany should be included in this quiz as well, unless you change the title
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
See the caveat. Qingdao was a concession. However, Germany should be on here for Tsingtau, a lease (not a concession).
+1
Level 57
Mar 17, 2021
Got North Vietnam with 2 seconds left..
+5
Level 65
Apr 29, 2021
This quiz lost Sikkim and East Turkestan.
+2
Level 60
Oct 5, 2021
Letter N Scavenger Hunt Answer (see my blog)
+1
Level 40
Oct 21, 2021
Portuguese POV: We did a little trolling
+1
Level 60
Nov 8, 2021
I made a quiz inspired off this.
+1
Level 56
Apr 5, 2022
ok
+1
Level 50
Nov 22, 2021
India and China did not share a border in 1947, at that time the Nationalists ruled China and had not occuiped/invaded the territories of Xinjiang and Tibet.
+1
Level 28
May 30, 2023
They shared a small border between Kashmir and Xinjiang
+1
Level 39
Dec 15, 2021
Good Quiz Idea
+1
Level 56
Apr 5, 2022
It kind of amazes me that some people forget Tibet. The Tibetan flag is literally the thumbnail!
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
I wasn't paying enough attention.
+1
Level 57
Jun 1, 2022
East Turkestan?
+1
Level 50
Aug 30, 2022
I’m so disappointed in myself, somehow I missed the motherland Russia…I was thinking about past countries and yet forgot Russia…
+1
Level 70
Aug 30, 2022
the quiz is missing germany tuva sikkim sinkiang guangxi manchuria and mengkukuo
+2
Level 50
Aug 30, 2022
Surely Sikkim should be included? It was an indepent country from 1947 to 1975.
+1
Level 56
Aug 30, 2022
I genuinely almost forgot Tibet (in the thumbnail), and it just came back to me. Funny thing is I didn't look at the thumbnail to remember it again.
+1
Level 56
Aug 30, 2022
Korea, Tuva?
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
Korea only bordered Russia before being part of Japan and then split. Tuva only bordered Russia and Mongolia.
+1
Level 74
Aug 30, 2022
Sikkim is still missing.
+1
Level 49
Aug 30, 2022
East Turkestan ???
+1
Level 57
Aug 30, 2022
Manchukuo, Sikkim, East Turkestan are missing
+3
Level 28
Aug 30, 2022
I'm pretty sure South Korea bordered china for a bit during the Korean War
+2
Level 51
Aug 30, 2022
I´m very much missing Tanna Tuva...
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
Tanna Tuva did not border China.
+1
Level 56
Aug 30, 2022
Missed the Kingdom of Sikkim, amongst others.
+3
Level 50
Aug 30, 2022
If Tibet, which was unrecognized but de facto independent, is included, then I think other similar states with little recognition such as Tannu Tuva should be included as well. Also, it might be good to add a caveat that short-lived governments such as the temporary independent Korean government after WW2 are not included.
+2
Level 57
Aug 30, 2022
Great quiz!

But you forgot:

- Qingdao which was held by Germany until 1918

- Tianjin which was held by Austria Hungary until

1918

+1
Level 73
Aug 30, 2022
Missing the US, which has surrounded China (Maine) since 1818
+1
Level 70
Aug 31, 2022
Lots of folks making declarations of fact without offering any sort of source to support the claim.
+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
Here you go.

- Far Eastern Republic (puppet state): 1920 to 1922 [credit: Nerd0921]

- Manchukuo (puppet state): 1932 to 1945

- East Turkestan Republic (unrecognized state): 1933 to 1934 and again in 1944 to 1949, breakaway state from China [credit: Angbo]

- Mengjiang (puppet state): 1939 to 1940 [credit: Nestormakhno]

- Sikkim: not a protectorate from 1947 to 1950, between India and China

(Tanna Tuva did not border China.) Will continue below, character limit reached.

+1
Level 60
Dec 1, 2023
Germany: 1898 to 1914, Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory was a lease not a concession

(Qingdao and Tianjin were concessions and therefore excluded by the caveat. The Korean Empire bordered only Russia.)

lhaasa also has a lot of candidates below with explanations and time periods.

+1
Level 84
Aug 31, 2022
You have an inconsistent hyphen for Russia 1991.
+1
Level 57
Aug 31, 2022
Gah, dang it NORTH VIETNAM!! You got me this time. I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you.
+1
Level 71
Sep 2, 2022
yeah tuva should be here
+1
Level 36
Sep 6, 2022
sikkim, tuva?
+1
Level 24
Dec 13, 2022
Didn't South Korea border china once during the Korean war
+1
Level 64
Mar 10, 2023
I found the instructions unclear. If the answers include 'colonial territories ', then why is Hong Kong not accepted? Hong Kong was a colonial territory; the UK isn't
+1
Level 28
May 30, 2023
Some countries that I think sould be included:

Thailand (1942-45): annexed parts of Burma during the 2nd world war, giving it a northern border with China

Germany (1898-1914): held the Qingdao leased territory until it was occupied by Japan in 1914

People's Republic of Korea (1945-6): an independent, neutral, unified Korea existed after Japan's surrender before its occupation by the USA

Republic of Korea (1950): army advanced to the Chinese border during the Korean war before being repulsed by Chinese forces.

United States (1945-49): occupied large parts of Hebei and Shandong after defeat of the Japanese

Kingdom of Sikkim (1642-1975): an independent Princely state which was under a British then Indian Protectorate until an election to abolish the monarchy and join India

Jammu and Kashmir (1846-1947): a Princely State under Company, then Raj protectorate which attempted to remain independent during Partition until it was split between India and Pakistan in the 1947-48 war

+1
Level 28
May 30, 2023
also there were various short lived republics during the russian Civil war:

Alash autonomy (1917-20), an independant republic declared in 1917, invaded and integrated into the RSFSR by 1920

Semirechye/ Basmachi revolt (1916-23), a muslim independence movement driven out of russia by 1923, to exile in afghanistan.

Far eastern republic (1920-22), an independent region seen as a buffer state by the bolsheviks against the Japanese occupation until its integration.

Amur SR (1918) an autonomous soviet after a 1918 coup until its invasion by white forces.

Confederated Republic of Altai (1918-22): an independent state which sought to recreate the mongol empire until its invasion by the bolsheviks

Tuva (1911-21) declared independence from Qing in 1911, became a Russian protectorate until 1919 Beiyang invasion, 1921 Sternberg regime, then was nominally independent until USSR integration

Altai and Tuva didnt border China except during the 1919-21 occupation by the Beiyang government

+2
Level 43
Aug 9, 2023
Germany should also be on this list because I'm pretty sure Germany once had a city
+1
Level 50
Dec 8, 2023
Qingdao?
+1
Level 38
Mar 14, 2024
surprised I got 21/21 first try
+1
Level 66
Mar 16, 2024
Nice idea but there are a lot of countries missing on this list (Germany, other countries in modern day China, etc.)