'China should take back land ceded to Russia" if it wants territorial integrity'

Taiwans President Lai Chingte has claimed that Chinas desire to annex Taiwan is not driven by territorial integrity but rather about altering the rulesbased world order to achieve hegemony Taiwan News reportedIn a recent interview to a local news channel President Lai argued that if Chinas motive for invading Taiwan is truly about territorial integrity it should focus on reclaiming land ceded to Russia in the 19th centuryLai reiterated the principles of his Four Commitments and the FourPillar Plan for peace emphasizing international support for Taiwan and framing the Taiwan Strait issue is not only a matter between Taiwan and China but also an issue for the IndoPacific and even the entire worldLai reiterated his belief that Chinas intention to annex Taiwan is not truly about territorial integrity Otherwise why not reclaim the land ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Aigun during the Qing Dynasty He argued that Chinas real objective is to alter the rulesbased international order to achieve hegemony in the international arena or the Western PacificLai noted that amid its war with Ukraine Now is the time when Russia is at its weakest and China could demand back the lands ceded in the Treaty of Aigun during the Qing Dynasty but they havent He added This clearly shows that the intention to invade Taiwan is not about territorial concernsFurther Lai stressed that unity is the most crucial thing for Taiwan right now and asserted that only by standing together against Chinese aggression can Taiwan secure its future as per Taiwan NewsHe emphasized that no political party can stop Chinas aggression simply by what they say or doAccording to Taiwan News Lai highlighted that democratic Taiwan has spread its values globallyHe argued that the people of Taiwan desire a democratic and free way of life which should not be seen by China as a challengeLai pointed out that if China only wanted to take Taiwan there would be no need to expand its military presence in the East and South China Seas or to conduct joint military exercises with Russia He expressed his hope that opposition parties can see this clearlyLai emphasized that Taiwan hopes for peaceful crossstrait development and that the government has a responsibility to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait However he stressed that the methods must be appropriate and carried out with dignityHe detailed the recent expressions of support for Taiwan from the international community including Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio US President Joe Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken European Union countries and the recently concluded G7 summitHe noted that all these entities have expressed the view that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is indispensable for international security and prosperityThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever