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China hits Qantas, Delta website references to HK, Taiwan, Macau, Tibet

BEIJING has cracked down on foreign corporate websites, typically airlines, hotel and restaurant chains for failing to use official Chinese designations for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet, reports Bloomberg.

Now Delta and Qantas, Marriott hotels and Starbucks are scrambling to fall in line with China's stance on the treatment of territorial disputes, or risk losing market privileges.

Companies have been re-phrasing websites and other material amending references offensive to the Communist regime, even apologising for referring to Taiwan as a "country".

Qantas, which flies to Beijing and Shanghai, said it had incorrectly listed on its website some Chinese territories as "countries".

Delta Air Lines, apparel maker Indicted and Marriott were singled out last week by Chinese authorities for similar transgressions.

Foreign corporations "should respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, abide by China's laws and respect Chinese people's national feelings," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on January 12.

"This is the minimum requirement for any enterprise to invest, operate and conduct cooperation in another country," said a spokesman.

Delta apologised for listing Tibet and Taiwan as nations and called it "an inadvertent error with no business or political intention".

Starbucks, which opens a store in China every 15 hours, said that while its major websites "respectfully reflect" the Chinese territories, the company is updating some minor sites that were not accurate.

Bellamy's Australia, the baby food maker that relies on China and Hong Kong for almost one third of its annual revenue, said it changed the reference to Hong Kong on its website.

Violations often appear on lists showing where a company has operations or where an airline flies to. An aviation and travel boom across Asia has increased online exposure to territory categorisations that China won't allow.

The solution to such a problem can be as simple as changing a "Countries" heading to "Countries/Regions."

Said Chinese President Xi Jinping: "We will never allow any person, any group, any political party, at any time, in any way, to split from any part of China's territory."