Last week, Newsweek reported, “Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has challenged China’s claim over the self-ruled island, questioning Beijing’s focus on territorial integrity. Lai suggested that if China is truly concerned about this, it should also seek to reclaim the land it ceded to Russia in the 19th century.”

Observations:

1.     President Lai’s calm statement of facts belies the boldness in his remarks. He dares to speak a truth that discomforts Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.

2.     With quick and vituperative responses, PRC and Russian official statements confirm their leaders’ disquietude over Lai’s remarks.

3.     As the PRC feels stronger and stronger in relation to Russian power, we should expect the PRC to pursue greater control over the territories that just last year it insisted that new maps should identify by the old Chinese names. Mao Zedong described territories that the Chinese Qing empire lost to Russia as an “unsettled bill.”

4.     Putin knows this, but he has weakened Russia so much with his war against Ukraine that he can do little about Russia’s growing vulnerability.

5.     For now, however, Xi Jinping finds Russia’s wasting useful for interrupting global order and creating opportunities for the PRC to extend its control over resources.

6.     So, for now, Xi Jinping is content to bully much smaller Taiwan.

Mixing these observations with others could lead to more aggressive and successful US foreign policy that protects freedom lovers around the world.