Air India follows other airlines to call Taiwan 'Chinese Taipei'
Prodded by Beijing, and following on the footsteps of several major airlines, Air India has now modified its website to show Taiwan as "Taipei, Taoyuan International Airport, TPE, Chinese Taipei". The move comes on the back of an order by the Civil Aviation Authority of China, dated 25th April, which asked Air India and other airlines to refer to Taiwan as Chinese Taipei.
Major airlines which have conceded to China's demands
Notably, international airlines like Delta Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Air Canada, have already modified their websites to show Taiwan as Chinese Taipei.
China opposes Taiwan's claims of being a separate country
The 25th April order to international airlines flying into China by the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority is to ensure that Taiwan isn't recognized as a separate country in the international arena. While Taiwan maintains that it's a democratic, self-ruled country, China opposes the stance under the "One China" policy wherein Beijing considers Taiwan to be a Chinese province.
The US has "strong concerns" over the Chinese order
The order had affected many US airlines, and the US State Department had said that it had raised "strong concerns" with Chinese authorities over the diktat. It had said that it objected to China dictating how US firms and airlines organize their websites, saying that Chinese websites operates without US political interference. New Delhi hasn't officially responded to the order yet.
India has moved carefully with regard to Chinese sensitivities
However, with regard to Chinese sensitivities about Taiwan, India has always moved carefully. Owing to Chinese objections about recognizing Taiwan as a country, India maintains its Taiwan office, not as an embassy or a consulate, but as the India-Taipei Association. While India accepts the One China policy, it hasn't explicitly stated so in recent bilateral joint statements.
Most international bodies see Taiwan as Chinese Taipei
Meanwhile, in recent decades, Chinese pressure to recognize Taiwan as part of China has grown tremendously. Owing to mounting Chinese pressure, both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank refer to Taiwan as Chinese Taipei. Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), and even in beauty pageants, is under the name Chinese Taipei.
