US airlines make concessions on Beijing’s demand to refer to Taiwan as part of China
American Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways are among the last across the line in making changes to their websites
Major US airlines and all Hong Kong carriers have changed references to Taiwan on their websites, responding to Beijing’s demand that the self-ruled island be identified as part of China.
American Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways were among the last airlines to make changes to their websites on Wednesday, the deadline for compliance with the request from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The US carriers removed any reference to Taiwan, retaining the airport name in booking pages, while Hong Kong’s airlines added “Taiwan, China” or similar references on websites.
In a move described by the White House as “Orwellian nonsense”, Beijing demanded in May that foreign firms, and airlines in particular, not refer to Taiwan as anything other than a Chinese territory on their websites.
“Like other carriers, American is implementing changes to address China’s request. Air travel is global business, and we abide by the rules in countries where we operate,” American Airlines said in a statement.
