US airlines fix Taiwan reference
All the 44 international airlines, including US airlines, have revised the way they refer to the island of Taiwan, according to updates of the airlines' websites on Wednesday. An expert said the US government is aware that the one-China policy is the bottom line.
Among them, four US airlines – Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines — were the latest to make the changes, just hours before the deadline. They were expected to make the changes by the end of July 25.
Hawaiian Airlines removed “Taiwan” from its schedules on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, American Airlines followed suit after the company's spokesperson Shannon Gilson told the Global Times via email, “We are consulting the US government on the matter.”
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines also made similar
moves. Delta retained the names of cities on the island, such as “Taipei,” but removed “Taiwan” after the cities’ names to avoid identifying the island as a country, as it indicated Taiwan in the column of “countries and regions” on the schedule chart.
Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday commended the actions taken by the US airlines, and urged foreign companies operating in China to abide by Chinese laws and regulations.
“We have noticed some positive progress, and appreciate rectifications made by foreign airlines. China is willing to share our development opportunities with foreign companies and welcome foreign companies to invest in China,” Geng told a regular press conference, stressing that “we also hope that when they [foreign companies] operate in China, they respect China’s laws and regulations, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respect the feelings of the Chinese people.”
“We will also protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law and create a fair environment for their operations,” Geng said.
On April 25, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) asked 44 foreign airlines to modify references to Taiwan on their websites and maps to identify it as a region of China within 30 days. Twenty-six of the 44 foreign airlines applied for an extension on May 25, the initial deadline, citing technical reasons. The deadline was moved to July 25.
Emirates not only revised its reference to Taiwan, listed Taiwan in the “tourist destination introduction” section on its website, along with other Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Zhengzhou, capital of Central China’s Henan Province.
Geng stressed that adhering to the one-China policy is the political basis for the stable development of China-US relations, and hoped that the US government would urge American companies to abide by the one-China principle, rather than ‘squat.’
Diao Daming, an American studies expert and associate professor at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the action taken by US airlines after consultations with their government showed the US government is aware that the one-China policy is China’s bottom line, and that it is non-negotiable.
China has reiterated its stance several times. “We can negotiate on trade matters, but will never compromise on the Taiwan question under any condition,” Diao noted, adding that the US did the right thing this time.
Experts added that China was adamant this time. “Let’s wait and see,” Geng said on Tuesday when asked whether US airlines would be banned from Chinese airports if they fail to meet the requirement.
The US government initially took a tough stance. In a statement released on May 5, the US government called China’s request to change the way Taiwan is referred to as “Orwellian nonsense.” It also said “we call on China to stop threatening and coercing American carriers and citizens.”
“It’s still unclear whether the US will stop provoking China on the Taiwan question, but at least this time, the US refused to pay the price,” Diao said.