As long as China considers Taiwan part of its territory, Beijing should allegedly take back the Russian Far East which China lost as a result of the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, Taiwanese President Lai Qingde said, Newtalk reports.
If China is going to attack and annex Taiwan, Beijing is not doing it for territorial reasons, the Taiwanese president said.
"If it is for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn't China return Russia's lands that were transferred under the Treaty of Aigun? Russia is in its weakest state now, is it not? (…) They could ask Russia [to give up the lands], but they are not doing it. Therefore, it is obvious that it is not for territorial reasons that they want to invade Taiwan,” the politician said.
China allegedly wants to break the "existing rules-based order” in the western Pacific Ocean, Lai Qingde added.
The Treaty of Aigun was concluded in 1858 between the Russian Empire and the Qing Empire. One of its signatories from the Russian side was Adjutant General Count Nikolai Muravyov, whose monument is depicted on the 5,000-ruble banknote.
According to the agreement, the border of the two countries was divided along the Amur River, as a result of which the Russian Empire included the territories of the modern Amur Region and part of the Khabarovsk Territory. The following Beijing Treaty from 1860 secured the future Primorsky Krai for Russia.
First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov said that Taiwan was aware of its impunity when making such statements .
"It is insulting that he offers such ideas to China. This shows that they feel their impunity," the senator said.
Taiwan is part of China, Dzhabarov stressed adding that Beijing's control over the island was only a matter of time.
"Sooner or later, Taiwan will definitely become part of China. It is Chinese territory de jure now, but de facto it will be China too," he added.