China has knocked back a US request to discuss the ‘One China’ policy on how US airlines list Taiwan’s status on their websites.
China is standing firm in its non-negotiable stance to force all airlines to refer to Taiwan as Chinese territory, which will only fray bilateral relationships further amid a growing trade dispute.
Most global airlines have adhered to China’s demands so far but US airlines are fearful of riling their own government over the issue.
US carriers including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have received extensions but have been silent on the matter by letting the two superpowers duke it out.
According to a US government source it has now escalated to ‘a foreign policy issue,’ Reuters reports.
A State Department official confirmed China had rejected a request to discuss the matter.
US airlines should not be forced to comply with this order. We have called on China to stop threatening and coercing American companies and citizens," the official said.
After the US described the demand as ‘Orwellian nonsense,’ China’s foreign ministry hit back by saying it will not budge.
"No matter what the United States says, it cannot change the objective fact that there is only one China in the world and that Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are indivisible parts of Chinese territory."
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian is painfully aware his and other US carriers are virtually powerless as pawns stuck in the middle of a major geopolitical fight.
"We’re working with the US authorities on the topic and we’ll stay close to our US government," Bastian said
China has not made clear what action it could take if the airlines don’t comply although it did impose a ‘my way or the highway’ stance with the world’s largest hotel group.
Earlier this year it shut down Marriott International’s Chinese website until it changed its listing of Taiwan, with CEO Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson forced to make an apology.
