"Change Taiwan to Chinese Taipei", says Beijing to Air India and it complies: "Here's why

The Indian national carrier Air India was forced to replace "Taiwan" with "Chinese Taipei" after the Chinese authorities asked it to no longer designate Taiwan as a separate region on their websites. Referred to as Taiwan, the Air India website now refers to the region as "Taipei, Taoyuan International Airport, TPE, Chinese Taipei".

The spokesman of Air India told PTI that they were following the procedure. The spokesman said: "There was a letter addressed to the Hong Kong Regional Director by the China Registry, MEA, Government of India, in which they approved the nomenclatures that will be used by Air India on its website regarding Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) of China, Macao SAR and Chinese Taipei. "On April 25, the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) ordered several international airlines to stop designating Taiwan as a separate country. In a letter, CAAC asked several foreign airlines, including the Air India office in Shanghai, to change the way they refer to Taiwan on their websites and in their promotional material within 30 days.

Shanghai and Hong Kong. While Air India does not have flights to Chinese Taipei, it has a code share with Air China. This is the reason why this destination is listed on the Air India website. Code-sharing allows an airline to book pbadengers on its carrier partners and travel nonstop to destinations where it is absent.

The Indian Express reported that China had not raised the matter Business. The CAAC also warned of the repercussions, starting by referring the websites to the Chinese cyberspace administration, which could make the decision to block the websites of the airlines in China.

The diktat has not been too well received by Western countries. The US State Department told Business Insider that the CAAC order had raised "strong concerns" with the Chinese authorities in Beijing. "Regarding websites, we are opposed to Beijing's decision on how US companies, including airlines, organize their websites to make them easier to use." ] Business Insider .

This is not the first time that China has stopped foreign companies. In January of this year, Marriott International, the hotel chain, was forced to apologize to China after a customer survey identified Tibet and Taiwan as separate countries. China alleged that the hotel chain and several other international companies, including Zara, Qantas and Delta Air Lines, supported the separatist aspirations of Tibet. The companies apologized to China for listing Taiwan and Hong Kong as "countries" on their websites. The Chinese insisted that Western companies must respect their laws and policies.

Analysts say that the uncertain international order driven by the whims of US President Donald Trump forced India to take a much softer line with Beijing. Clive Hamilton, a professor of public ethics, told Business Insider : "The People's Republic of China is engaged in economic blackmail, imposing its geopolitical ambitions on companies that want to operate in the country" . [19659002] However, it is the first time that the Chinese authorities have asked for anything on these lines of India. The Indian Express claimed that it was a sensitive topic for India and New Delhi "still bothered cautiously when it comes to Chinese sensitivities on Taiwan."

Taiwan or Chinese Taipei – Explained

The "One China" policy, which states that there is only one Chinese government and considers the Taiwan, as a separatist province that will one day reunite with the mainland, is a cornerstone of Sino-US relations. It is also the foundation of Chinese foreign policy, the development of domestic policies and its diplomacy. "There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in 2017.

Image of representation. PTI

The Taiwan government, however, does not agree with this decree. They say that Taiwan is an independent country officially called the "Republic of China" and that any country that wants diplomatic relations with mainland China must break its official ties with Taipei. And since the island has its own democratically elected president, its own laws, and its own armed forces, it's hard to say why Taiwan is not a separate country. Taiwan has been administered separately with its own government since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Formulated in 1942, China's policy dates back to the end of the Chinese Civil War when the nationalist fighters defeated withdrew to Taiwan. seek refuge and make it their seat of government. Meanwhile, "victorious" communists ruled over mainland China

India accepts the policy of a single China, although it has not explicitly stated the fact in bilateral joint declarations in recent years. It would be a difficult position for New Delhi to unequivocally accept the terms of the one China policy as it claims that even Tibet is under the control of the Republic of China. Some Indian media believe that India has no reason to Taiwan in China, unless China recognizes the land claims of India and the press releases of the country. India and China do not mention or support the policy of a single China. "Indian companies are not obliged to comply," said a newspaper published in the newspaper Global Times published by the state.

The article adds that mainland China and Taiwan have long since, foreign companies probably do not have the intention to support Taiwan's independence, "but the company's main focus is on Taiwan. Article continues warning that the refusal to accept the "recalled" corrections could bring them "consequences" or even be dismissed. the Chinese market. "

In the past, China only required foreign governments to adhere to its one-China policy, while non-governmental organizations were excluded from the obligation." But the Chinese government Society and society are now showing less and less tolerance for activities that tend to divide China and support Taiwan's independence … The Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs . This issue and the bilateral territorial disputes are different. China respects the territorial integrity of India. He did not support the separatist movement in the province of Assam, and therefore India should not support Taiwan 's demand for independence. "19659002] Even the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations refer to Taiwan as Chinese Taipei According to the report, the Indian government maintains an office under the name of the India-Taipei Association.