From the history of the British consulate 74 in the Chinese province of Xinjiang in 1918-1919

The author of the article focuses on the activities of the British consulate in the Chinese province of Xinjiang in 1918-1919 (the case of Kashgar District). The struggle between Britain and Russia over the Chinese province of Xinjiang began in the 70-ies of 19th century. Especially sharply this rivalry became apparent for influence in East Turkestan (Xinjiang Kashgar District. - T.Sh). The fact is that after the capture of Laddaka and Kashmir by the United Kingdom, Xinjiang became a border with the colonial territories of the two largest states. On the one hand, Indian possessions of the British Crown, on the other - the Russian Central Asia. From that moment on, the British government began to show a close attention to the Chinese province. However, the Russian Empire has positioned there firmly. Activities of England aimed at penetration in Xinjiang can be divided into two stages. The first stage - before the war, and the second one - post-revolution, when the Soviet Russia (instead of Tsarist Russia) opposed Britain in the region. During the years of revolution and civil war Russia had lost its almost monopoly political and trade-economic influence in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. England took advantage of this situation, seized the Kashgar market and enhanced influence on the local daoin (civil governor of the district). Trying to weaken the position of its main competitor in the province, the United Kingdom initially even tried to establish contacts with the Bolsheviks. However, the true motive of the British was to push out from the province its rivals, already former Tsarist Russia and its successors, and to prevent gaining influence in the region by the Soviets. This originally was the aim of the policy of the British consulate in Xinjiang in respect with building the relationships with the Bolsheviks and their opponents - the Whites. As a result, it was concluded that the position of the United Kingdom and its consulate in Xinjiang changed on the basis of political and economic conditions. Its swings between the Bolsheviks and the Whites were noticeable. Of course, they did not have big "sympathy" and "illusions" about the interaction with the Soviets in the province, but by their hands they wanted to weaken its major competitors, already former Tsarist Russia and its successors, and at the same time did not "spoil" the relations with the local authorities, which were also swinging in their "commitment" between Soviet Russia and its opponents during the civil war.

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