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Beijing – After three months of pressure, they ended up giving way in Beijing: the major global airlines, including the US, now refer to Taiwan as an integral part of China on their booking sites.
The Chinese Civil Aviation Authority in April asked 36 foreign airlines to refer Taiwan as belonging to China, setting Wednesday the deadline for them to modify their websites.
No question to Beijing that a user can book for example a flight to Taipei with the name of the Taiwanese capital followed by the word " Taiwan ", as if the island was an independent country .
Communist China considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory, even though the island has been ruled independently by a rival regime since 1949.
Most of the world's airlines had already followed the instructions of the second Mondial economy. But the attitude of the American companies was more particularly scrutinized, Washington having denounced in May " the Orwellian absurdity " of the requirements of Beijing.
The latter have however yielded to Chinese requirements, or are preparing to do so.
" Air transport is a global business, we respect the rules of the countries in which we operate ," said American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson in a statement. email to AFP.
The company, like its compatriot Delta, certainly continued Wednesday to mention " Taiwan " as a separate entity on some parts of its website but the name of the island had disappeared from some search areas.
Thus, the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung were no longer followed by the mention " Taiwan " in the search for departure or arrival airports on American sites, while Delta retracted the mention of countries after destinations in Taiwan or China.
Bloomberg News, quoting a source close to the case, said four American companies – American Airlines, United, Delta and Hawaiian Airlines – planned to change their website in the coming days.
– 'Harbadment' –
Beijing did not specify what the potential recalcitrant companies would be exposed to. But the communist regime has welcomed their decision.
" We are pleased with the foreign companies that have made changes ," Geng Shuang, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Wednesday.
China welcomes foreign firms, but expects them " to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity (of the country) and the feelings of the Chinese people ," he said.
Conversely, Taiwan condemned " Beijing's insolence ", which uses its political and economic weight to pressure foreign companies.
" The existence of Taiwan in the eyes of the international community is an objective fact, which will not disappear because Peking decrees ," taunted the Taiwan Foreign Ministry.
The spokesman of the Taiwan government, Mrs. Kolas Yotaka, spoke of the " unfair decision " and asked for the support of the international community. " We continue to call on the international community not to become complicit in the harbadment of China ," she told reporters.
In Hong Kong, Cathay Airlines and its subsidiary Dragon Air now refer to the island as " Taiwan, China ". Several European companies (Air France, KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Finnair, SAS …) do the same.
" We must respect the regulations of the relevant authorities of civil aviation ", pleaded Cathay Airlines, recalling being registered in " the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ".
Relations between China and Taiwan have deteriorated since the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who refuses to recognize the " single principle of China " by which the island and the continent would be part of the same Chinese ensemble.
Ms. Tsai fanned Beijing's wrath at the end of 2016 by managing to talk on the phone with Donald Trump, the newly elected President of the United States. The communist regime in fact prohibits any official contact between Taiwanese officials and the leaders of countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
Only 18 states maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than with Beijing, including the Vatican.
YZ-ec-my-aw-jug / bar / ehl / lch / your
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