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US Airlines Change Taiwan Reference On Websites Ahead of Chinese Deadline (cnbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the global-business dept.

hackingbear writes from a report via CNBC: After dragging their feet for months and requesting help from the Trump administration, all three major U.S. airlines -- American, Delta and United -- decided to change how they refer to Taiwan airports on their websites to avoid Chinese penalties right before the Wednesday deadline. Earlier this year, China demanded that foreign firms, and airlines in particular, not refer to Taiwan as a non-Chinese territory on their websites, as such practice violates Chinese laws. The White House in May slammed the demand as "Orwellian nonsense." Numerous non-U.S. airlines including Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways had already made changes to their websites. The airlines "now only list Taipei's airport code and city, but not the name Taiwan," reports CNBC. It was unclear how China might punish airlines that don't comply, but it did add a clause saying regulators could change a company's permit if it did not meet "the demand of public interest." An American Airlines spokeswoman said in a statement: "Air travel is global business, and we abide by the rules in countries where we operate."

2 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. Free Taiwan is dead by aberglas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Xi Jinping has made his ambitions very clear. And we will do nothing to stop it.

    This does not require some massive invasion. Just bit by bit, Xi will tighten the screws. Threats will work just fine as the rest of the world abandons Taiwan.

    It will be like Hong Kong. At first China will just demand a token governor be appointed, with only ceremonial powers, as symbolic recognition. Then they may give Taiwan a seat on the Chinese politburo, appointed by the Chinese government. Then closer police cooperation.

    Taiwan will do what everyone does and self censor. Radicals that want to push back will be censored by the Taiwanese themselves. Bit by bit that governor will become more powerful.

    1. Re:Free Taiwan is dead by Lurks · · Score: 5, Informative

      You don't seem to understand Taiwan and have misstated the situation.

      The current government of Taiwan is a pro-independence government. It's a democracy, and these people were voted in. There's no chance of China appointing anyone, that's just not going to happen. It's easy to make the mistake. China has been so successful at telling everyone that Taiwan == China that people start to believe it, but it simply isn't true.

      There is no plan for China to take over, there is no timetable. It is fundamentally not possible nor would the electorate accept any appointments by China.
      They're also pragmatists and have no interest in provoking China. This is why the status quo continues.

      However the PRC has essentially bribed or strong armed almost every nation on earth to avoid formal recognition of Taiwan as an independent country. This is shameful really, but money talks. This has real effects on Taiwan, like not being able to participate in international forums. However in other respects business carries on regardless of the word games. Countries can't have embassies in Taiwan, for example, but they have 'offices' that do exactly the same thing.

      It would be nice to see some leadership, from the US maybe, in resolving this absurd situation. It could start by addressing the current issue (economic threats on airlines that describe Taiwan as a country), and ideally... by formally recognising Taiwan. Trump even alluded to that, but ... it was just a bit of anti-China rhetoric it seems.