Taiwan President Urges Reclaiming Russian Land as China’s Foreign Ministry Offers Tacit Approval

In an interview with CTV News on the 100th day of his presidency, President Lai Ching-te stated that to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, China should reclaim the territories occupied by Russia, including Vladivostok. Lai specifically mentioned the Treaty of Aigun, signed in 1858 between the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia, which ceded large areas of land in Siberia that originally belonged to China, reducing the Sino-Russian border to the Amur River.

“For territorial integrity, China should reclaim the land ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Aigun. Isn’t Russia at its weakest right now?” Lai remarked. The Treaty of Aigun, signed in 1858, was an unequal treaty that caused China to lose 600,000 square kilometers of territory north of the Amur River. Although the Qing government initially did not ratify the treaty, it was confirmed two years later in another unequal treaty, the Treaty of Beijing. These two treaties were among the most significant in terms of territory loss in modern Chinese history.

President Lai advised President Xi, “China can demand the return of these lands that were ceded in the Treaty of Aigun. Russia is very vulnerable right now, making it an opportune moment to reclaim these territories.” After the signing of the Treaty of Aigun, the Qing government was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War and subsequently signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, permanently ceding Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands, and the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan. This marked the beginning of 50 years of Japanese rule over Taiwan.

Analysts say that now that Taiwan is on its way back, there is no reason not to reclaim the land ceded under the unequal Treaty of Aigun. The patriotic remarks by President Lai were met with rare tacit approval from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding a new glimmer of hope to cross-strait relations.