INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Kremlin expressed "solidarity" on Friday with China's stance on Taiwan after Chinese President Xi Jinping warned United States leader
Joe Biden not to "play with fire" over the self-ruled island."Certainly we are in solidarity," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told
reporters."We respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and believe that no country in the world should have the right to
question this or take any inflammatory or other steps," he added."We are convinced that such behavior on the international arena can only
cause additional tension."On Thursday, Xi warned the United States president not to "play with fire" over Taiwan during a lengthy telephone
call that the White House said aimed to steady the superpowers' rocky relationship.Beijing has upheld friendly ties with Russia as Western
nations have sought to isolate President Vladimir Putin's government from the global financial and diplomatic order over Moscow's
military assault on Ukraine.Democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of being seized by China, which views the self-ruled island as
follow through on threats to annex its much smaller and outgunned neighbor.
