Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Air Canada | Aeroplan
Reload this Page >

Air Canada among four major airlines who quietly changed their references to Taiwan

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Air Canada among four major airlines who quietly changed their references to Taiwan

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 15, 2018, 8:32 am
  #1  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,446
Air Canada among four major airlines who quietly changed their references to Taiwan

Air Canada and Malaysia Airlines have changed references to Taiwan - Business Insider

Air Canada and Malaysia Airlines have changed references to Taiwan on their websites, seemingly acquiescing to demands from China.

On April 25, China sent a letter to 36 foreign airlines pressuring them to remove references to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as countries on their websites and marketing materials. American Airlines, Qantas and United all received the letter, which the White House described as "Orwellian nonsense" and "part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views" on private companies.

A Globe and Mail journalist also recently spotted Air Canada's shift in its naming of Taiwan.

Previously Air Canada's booking page listed Taipei's airport as being in "TW," the abbreviation for Taiwan also used by US and Australian airlines that confirmed receiving the letter from China's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). On Tuesday all mention of Taiwan as the country had been replaced by "CN," the abbreviation of China, with no mention of Taiwan.


Neither Malaysia Airlines or Air Canada responded to earlier requests for comment.
tcook052 is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 8:35 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: Only J via Peasant Points, 777HDPeasant or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance and Narcissism.
Posts: 5,951
Its the cost of doing business in that region, that's all. You can be offended but clearly one area represents a significant larger economic interest to AC vs the other.

It really shouldn't be that big of a deal(well, unless you really want to make it one).. one is PRC and the other is ROC.. both ends with China.
tonywush, Fiordland and jacobguo like this.
Jumper Jack is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 8:42 am
  #3  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
Originally Posted by Jumper Jack

It really shouldn't be that big of a deal(well, unless you really want to make it one).. one is PRC and the other is ROC.. both ends with China.
Surely that's a gross oversimplification. Especially about Taiwan...

BTW it seems the GAP also lowered their pants under pressure from the bully.

The Canadian government also has already for quite a while. All official web sites have included the fiction "Taiwan, Province of China" for quite a while in lists of countries.
Stranger is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 8:44 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: Only J via Peasant Points, 777HDPeasant or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance and Narcissism.
Posts: 5,951
Originally Posted by Stranger
Surely that's a gross oversimplification. Especially about Taiwan...
​​​​​​
Should have just classified the cities using PRC and ROC to begin with.. It really isn't oversimplification.. the place/province/country is literally called ROC. Just because Londoners call the Underground "tube" doesn't make it tube officially.

Though find the US response to be hypocritical given what's going on in Gaza

Also this doesn't make China a bully, these airlines have a choice to not do business there.
jacobguo likes this.

Last edited by Jumper Jack; May 15, 2018 at 8:54 am
Jumper Jack is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 9:55 am
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
Originally Posted by Jumper Jack
​​​​​​
Should have just classified the cities using PRC and ROC to begin with.. It really isn't oversimplification.. the place/province/country is literally called ROC. Just because Londoners call the Underground "tube" doesn't make it tube officially.

Though find the US response to be hypocritical given what's going on in Gaza

Also this doesn't make China a bully, these airlines have a choice to not do business there.
That's all China propaganda... Taiwan was not really part of China since the treaty of Shimonoseki (sp?), 1895 or 1896, except for the sad four years from 1945 to 1949. Which were a disaster, including 228 etc.

Even before the 1890s, relationship was quite dubious.

Rest is propaganda, manipulations and exercises of fiction.
Fizzer, yscleo, beep88 and 3 others like this.
Stranger is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 10:50 am
  #6  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,446
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKCN1IG21C

Taiwan seeks 'correction' after Air Canada lists Taipei as part of China
tcook052 is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 11:23 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
What does a Canadian passport show as country of birth if you were born in Taiwan? Just the city and country field left blank?

I empathize with airlines here. They can't be expected to wade into a dispute like this at the expense of their business interests. If they didn't appease China and suffered financial harm as a result, senior management would be looking for new jobs pretty quickly.
jc94 and Jumper Jack like this.
eigenvector is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 12:01 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Toronto, Ont., Canada
Programs: Aeroplan; Marriott Platinum; IHG Platinum; Best Western Diamond
Posts: 2,161
For Taiwan, Canadian passport shows TWN as country of birth.

With passports from many countries, you can enter without applying for visa. But you'd need visa to enter China. For those countries needing visas to enter both China and Taiwan respectively, well if you only have visa to enter China, you cannot enter Taiwan. You also cannot go to Chinese embassy/consulates to apply for entry visa to Taiwan. Listing Taipei as China is incorrect, and can cause confusion to travelers.
yscleo is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 12:08 pm
  #9  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
Originally Posted by yscleo
You also cannot go to Chinese embassy/consulates to apply for entry visa to Taiwan.[
Obviously...
Stranger is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 12:16 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 3,099
Agree with Jack that it's just a cost of doing business. I don't want to dive into the political history of Taiwan. Taiwan issue to Chinese(both PRC and ROC), is similar to Quebeck to Canadians, Northern Ireland to British, etc. there are stories from more than one side.

Just like how AC treats its passengers, government treats companies in the same way. You can say its bully or unfair however you like. Just as passengers have the right to never fly AC again, AC has the right to never fly to China again, should they decide the rules are unfair or not. Big players set the rule, smaller players choose to follow or not play at all.
songsc is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 12:30 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
I'm also not going to delve into politics or address claims that this is just propaganda on China's part. I will, however, note that Canada doesn't have an embassy in Taiwan, choosing instead to call its consular presence the "Canadian Trade Office in Taipei." That presumably says something about how even Canada is tiptoeing around this delicate issue.

As AC's spokeswoman points out, they're simply complying "with all requirements in all worldwide jurisdictions to which we fly." Put differently: it's the cost of doing business, and there's arguably an awful lot more business to be done in the PRC as compared to the ROC.

Originally Posted by songsc
Taiwan issue to Chinese(both PRC and ROC), is similar to Quebeck (sic) to Canadians, Northern Ireland to British, etc. there are stories from more than one side.
Not even close. But this is best discussed elsewhere.
ffsim is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 1:12 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Ice Cream Club, AC SE MM, Bonvoy Life Plat
Posts: 2,803
Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said the carrier’s “policy is to comply with all requirements in all worldwide jurisdictions to which we fly.”

This settles it! Total genius.
Jumper Jack likes this.
DrunkCargo is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 1:49 pm
  #13  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
Originally Posted by DrunkCargo
Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said the carrier’s “policy is to comply with all requirements in all worldwide jurisdictions to which we fly.”

This settles it! Total genius.
Doesn't help when there are conflicting requirements...
Stranger is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 1:53 pm
  #14  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
Originally Posted by ffsim
I'm also not going to delve into politics or address claims that this is just propaganda on China's part. I will, however, note that Canada doesn't have an embassy in Taiwan, choosing instead to call its consular presence the "Canadian Trade Office in Taipei." That presumably says something about how even Canada is tiptoeing around this delicate issue.
"Chosing" is perhaps not quite the right word though.

As AC's spokeswoman points out, they're simply complying "with all requirements in all worldwide jurisdictions to which we fly." Put differently: it's the cost of doing business, and there's arguably an awful lot more business to be done in the PRC as compared to the ROC.
Calling Taiwan "the ROC" ios already a way to take sides.


Not even close. But this is best discussed elsewhere.
I hear the Catalonia events have played quite emotionally in Taiwan OTOH.
Stranger is offline  
Old May 15, 2018, 1:55 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: Only J via Peasant Points, 777HDPeasant or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance and Narcissism.
Posts: 5,951
Originally Posted by Stranger


Calling Taiwan "the ROC" ios already a way to take sides. .
Wow. It literally says that on the passport my dude.

Last edited by Jumper Jack; May 15, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Jumper Jack is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.