May 26, 2018
Press Release No. 121
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns China's unreasonable and blatant political interference in private-sector commercial activities and international business operations, as well as its hostile intent to suppress Taiwan's status in the world community. Such interference was seen between January and April this year when Chinese authorities issued letters to 24 foreign airlines operating in China and 36 other international airlines, demanding that Taiwan not be listed as a country on their website.
MOFA is highly concerned over China's high-handed attempts to coerce international enterprises and transnational airlines into downgrading how they refer to Taiwan. Diplomatic missions overseas have been instructed to verify these developments with related businesses and airlines, reiterate the government's longstanding position, and urge them to handle the issue appropriately. Companies are advised to firmly maintain their corporate independence and autonomy, and to not bow to Chinese pressure to downgrade their designation for Taiwan, as this would damage their business reputations, and compromise Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity.
The Chinese authorities will not make their country great by repeatedly suppressing Taiwan. Rather, it will only cause outrage and resentment among the Taiwanese people, undermine peaceful developments across the Taiwan Strait, widen the rift between the two sides, and make a mockery of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's statements that the “two sides are one family” and “there is a meeting of hearts and minds between compatriots on the two sides.”
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign nation, a fact that will not be changed by China's actions. MOFA again urges the global community to jointly oppose, with moral courage and righteousness, China's malicious political intervention in international commercial activities and entrepreneurial operations, and to refrain from bowing to its unreasonable demands. (E)