Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2158944/us-airlines-making-further-websites-changes-address
China/ Diplomacy

US airlines making further websites changes to address China’s Taiwan complaints

Chinese state media accuses Delta, United and American airlines of missing a deadline to change the way they refer to the self-ruled island

A United Airlines plane at Beijing airport. Photo: AFP

The three largest US airlines have said they are in the process of amending their systems to address Beijing requests over how they refer to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, after mainland media reported that they had yet to complete revisions in time for a Thursday deadline.

The Global Times newspaper on Thursday singled out Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines in a report which said that the companies had yet to meet requirements set by China’s aviation regulator.

Beijing has demanded that foreign firms, and airlines in particular, do not refer to self-ruled Taiwan as a non-Chinese territory on their websites, a demand the White House slammed in May as “Orwellian nonsense.”

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which has been pushing airlines to make the change, had originally set a deadline of July 25.

However, it said last month that the four US airlines had asked for another extension as it perceived their amendments as “incomplete”.

It was unclear what the exact deadline was in view of the time difference between the United States and China or what additional amendments the US carriers were making.

Hawaiian Airlines was one of the carriers singled out by state-run newspaper Global Times. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines was one of the carriers singled out by state-run newspaper Global Times. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines

Checks on Thursday showed Delta, United and American Airlines now list only Taipei’s airport code and city, but not the name Taiwan, while there is no mention of Taipei or Taiwan on Hawaiian Airlines’ website.

“United Airlines has begun to roll out changes to its systems to address China’s requirements,” a company spokesman told Reuters.

“United abides by and respects local laws and regulations in all markets and jurisdictions where we operate and conduct business. United flights to mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will continue to operate normally.”

Delta said that it, and other US carriers, were “in the process of implementing website changes” in response to the CAAC’s request.

It added that it remained in close consultation with the US government throughout the process.

Shannon Gilson, a spokeswoman for American Airlines said: “Like other carriers, American is implementing changes to address China’s request.”

Hawaiian Airlines, Airlines for America, a trade group which represents major US carriers, and the CAAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Global Times reported the CAAC as saying that it was closely monitoring the situation.

Delta airlines said it was in the process of “implementing changes”. Photo: AP
Delta airlines said it was in the process of “implementing changes”. Photo: AP

It was unclear how Beijing might punish airlines that did not comply with its requests, but in December it added a clause to rules governing foreign airlines in the country, saying regulators could change a company’s permit if it did not meet “the demand of public interest”.

Taiwan is Beijing’s most sensitive territorial issue. Beijing considers the democratic island a wayward province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland.

Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that are now part of China but maintain a high degree of autonomy.