Beijing weighs options as deadline looms for airlines to describe Taiwan as part of China
China may take punitive measures including reducing US flights to the country and restricting its airspace, but it runs the risk of exacerbating the trade war
Beijing has a raft of measures it can take to punish US airlines if they do not remove references to Taiwan as a country on their websites by the deadline on Wednesday, as it walks a fine line to avoid exacerbating the trade war with Washington, analysts say.
Punitive actions could include reducing US flights to China and restricting Chinese airspace, but in doing so Beijing would run the risk of worsening its relations with Washington.
Major US carriers – including United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta – are among the six holdouts of 44 foreign airlines asked by the Chinese civil aviation authority in April to remove wording suggesting Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau were countries independent from China.
The companies that have not yet done so were given until Wednesday to comply, after applying for an extension. Washington has been negotiating with Beijing over its demands on behalf of American, Delta and United. The White House earlier asked its airlines not to comply with the “Orwellian nonsense” of China’s request.
“We are reviewing the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s request and will remain in close conversation with the US government throughout this process,” a Delta spokesman said in a statement over the weekend.