Taiwan’s MOFA strongly condemns China’s campaign of coercion against international airlines
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On 25 July, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemned China’s campaign of coercion against international airlines designating Taiwan as a country on their websites. “Taiwan is Taiwan” MOFA stated. “It does not fall under the jurisdiction of China’s government.” According to MOFA, “Taiwan’s existence as part of the international community is an objective fact; it will not disappear due to the suppression of Chinese authorities.”
MOFA’s statement was in response to a letter sent three months ago by Chinese authorities to 44 carrier threatening punitive action unless they downgraded Taiwan’s status from a nation within 30 days. On 25 July, American, Delta and United airlines replaced Taiwan with ‘Taipei International’; ‘Taipei’; and ‘(TPE-Taoyuan)’, respectively. Some airlines, including Air India, took a different track by substituting Taiwan for ‘Chinese Taipei’, while others such as All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines opted for East Asia and airport names. MOFA stated that a close eye has been kept on the situation, with staffers in overseas embassies and representative offices going to great lengths to verify information with the affected airlines while taking every opportunity to communicate the government’s stance on the matter.
