Posted on 05/22/2018 5:04:54 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Global airlines are obeying Beijing’s demands to refer to Taiwan explicitly as a part of China, despite the White House’s call this month to stand firm against such “Orwellian nonsense.” The Associated Press found 20 carriers, including Air Canada, British Airways and Lufthansa, that now refer to Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers Chinese territory, as a part of China on their global websites.
There are just three days left for dozens of foreign airlines to decide whether to comply with Beijing’s orders, or face consequences that could cripple their China business, including legal sanctions. Many have already sided with Beijing.
The spread of “Taiwan, China” on the drop-down menus and maps of airline websites represents another victory for China’s President Xi Jinping and his ruling Communist Party’s nationalistic effort to force foreign companies to conform to their geopolitical vision, even in operations outside of China. Critics say China’s incremental push to leverage its economic power to forge new international norms — in this case regarding Taiwan’s status — creates worrying precedents.
Beyond fiery missives, there is little Washington can do to unify a fractured global response and effectively push back against Beijing’s demands.
“What’s at stake is that we’re allowing a revisionist regime with a terrible track record on freedom of speech to dictate what we say and write in our own countries,” said J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based senior fellow with the China Policy Institute and the University of Nottingham’s Taiwan studies program. “If Beijing does not encounter red lines, it can only keep asking for more.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Civilized man will come to regret that error...sooner,rather than later.
Don’t allow them to land in Taiwan, and close their markets.
Let us see what will hurt more - Chinese pressure or US pressure.
United’s in-flight live maps don’t label countries or show borders they only name cities.
(just returned from Israel)
How about a compromise... “Taiwan, Republic of China”
Money always talks.
Better: Don’t allow these carriers into the United States.
Do they distinguish between capital cities and other cites with a star or something? How was Jerusalem represented vs., say Washington or London or Paris?
No capital city notations.
treble landing fees every year the airline continues their capitulation.
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