Why the two user names? Don't you know that this against FT terms of service?

I don't have a big problem with the "Peking" thing apart from the fact that most people who try to impress others with this tidbit don't have a clue about history.

In brief, Mandarin IS the common language throughout the country, and there is no dispute about this (go to Wulumuqi and turn on a TV if you don't believe me).

The practice of naming cities based on transliterations of their Cantonese names began during the opium wars, and was well documented in maps during that era. This is because 广东 was the base of operations for the British (and East India Company).

But, after the PRC got rolling in 1949, it decided that calling its capital by its spoken name would be more appropriate. The proper transliteration for 北京 in Mandarin is "Beijing".

This isn't some sort of strange political stunt; it's actually what everyone (regardless of native dialect) uses.