Posted on 05/22/2018 5:04:54 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Global airlines are obeying Beijings demands to refer to Taiwan explicitly as a part of China, despite the White Houses 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 Beijings 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 Chinas President Xi Jinping and his ruling Communist Partys nationalistic effort to force foreign companies to conform to their geopolitical vision, even in operations outside of China. Critics say Chinas incremental push to leverage its economic power to forge new international norms in this case regarding Taiwans status creates worrying precedents.
Beyond fiery missives, there is little Washington can do to unify a fractured global response and effectively push back against Beijings demands.
Whats at stake is that were 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 Nottinghams 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.
Dont 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.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.