Taiwan President Lai Ching-te questioned China why not take back old land from Russia

In an interview with Catherine Chang, a well-known journalist, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said  “If China's claims on Taiwan are about territorial integrity then it should also take back land from Russia signed over by the last Chinese dynasty in the 19th century”.  The interview was broadcasted by Taiwanese television station on September 1.  Talking about territorial integrity, Lai brought up the 1858 Treaty of Aigun in which The Qing, the last Chinese Dynasty, signed over a vast tract of land in what is now Russia's far east to the Russian empire, forming much of the present day border along the Amur River.  The Qing also signed over Taiwan to Japan in 1895 in another “unequal” treaty.  Since the Mao Zedong’s communists won the civil war in China, The People’s Republic of China (PRO) had viewed democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.   However, Taiwan's government (ROC) rejected those claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.  Lai further said that China's intention to attack and annex Taiwan is not for the sake of territorial integrity.  It wants to achieve hegemony in the international area, in the Western Pacific - that is it's real aim.    Lai’s remark brought world-wide attentions.  It is the first time that a prominent political leader questioned China why doesn’t it take back the lands occupied by Russia that were signed over in the treaty of Aigun?  As usual, China's government says Taiwan has been Chinese territory since ancient times.  China's Taiwan Affairs Office refused to immediately respond to a request for comment.