Australian airline urged to honor one-China policy

Companies operating in China must respect and uphold the one-China policy, which is the most basic requirement of them, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

Hua made the remark after Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop referred on Tuesday to China’s request to Qantas Airways as “political pressure”.

On Monday, the Australian airline said it would comply with China’s request to remove references on its websites and other material that suggest Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are countries independent of China.

The Australian government already adheres to the oneChina policy and does not recognize Taiwan as a country.

However, Bishop said in an emailed statement that how Qantas structured its website was a matter for the company to decide.

Hua responded to Bishop’s comments. “There is only one China in the world. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have always been part of China. This is an objective fact, common sense and the general consensus of the international community,” she said.

Such issues concerning China’s sovereignty are not simply procedural or technical, Hua said, adding that China’s requests reflect its consistent and firm position over the one-China principle.

“The requests are lawful and reasonable, and are by no means political interference or political pressure,” she said.

In a statement issued late in May, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said it had sent letters to 44 foreign airlines on April 25, requesting that they correct within 30 days content on their websites that conflicts with China’s law and the oneChina policy.

Eighteen of the companies had finished revising their websites, and the others requested the deadline be extended to no later than July 25, according to the administration.

US urged to be cautious

Also on Tuesday, Hua urged the United States to handle Taiwan-related issues cautiously to avoid damaging China-US ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, after reports said the US is considering sending a warship through the straits.

The Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive core issue of China-US ties, Hua said, and she urged the US to uphold the one-China policy and the three joint communiques between China and the US.

Reuters contributed to this story.