By Sarah Wu TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s ruling party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday he would maintain the status quo and pursue peace through strength if elected, remaining open to engagement with Beijing under the preconditions of equality and dignity. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has cast the island’s presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday as a choice between peace and war across the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has denounced Vice President Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a separatist and warned that any attempt to push for Taiw…