US airlines give in to China's demands over Taiwan

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US airlines give in to China's demands over Taiwan


Beijing had demanded that American Airlines (AAL), Delta (DAL) and United (UAL) change how they refer to Taiwan by Wednesday, or risk sanctions in one of the world's biggest markets for air travel. American Airlines and Delta updated their websites on Wednesday to show they fly to Taipei, with no mention of Taiwan. A few hours earlier, both websites offered flights to "Taipei, Taiwan."上海飛北京

United also removed references to "TW" — short for Taiwan — from its website, dropping country designations for all cities in Taiwan and China. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949 following the Communist victory on the mainland after a civil war, although a shared cultural and linguistic heritage mostly endures.

But China considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory, and comes down hard on any suggestions to the contrary.

"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 spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told CNN. United did not respond to a request for comment. Delta declined to comment and referred questions to Airlines for America (A4A), which represents the US airline industry.

"The US airline industry is a global business that must contend with a host of regulations and requirements," the association said in a statement on Tuesday.

"A4A and the affected US airlines appreciate the engagement and counsel we have received from the administration as carriers begin to implement a solution," it added.

The instructions from China provoked a strong reaction from the United States earlier in the year. The White House slammed the demands as "Orwellian nonsense," describing them as "part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies."