PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
China: Multinational Companies (2 July 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will tackle the issue of China's (a) pressuring British Airways and other airlines to use its nomenclature for Taiwan on their websites and (b) interfering in other ways in the free operations of international business.

Asked by:
Bob Blackman (Conservative)

Her Majesty’s Government’s long-standing policy on Taiwan has not changed. The British Government refers to Taiwan as simply “Taiwan” and, when included in a list of places, does so under an inclusive heading, such as “country/territory” or “world locations”. When guidance has been sought from HMG on the terminology to use, we have been clear about the British Government’s terminology for Taiwan.

Private companies and organisations should be able to decide the terminology that they use to list destinations. UK companies should not be placed under political pressure to make changes. FCO Officials have registered our concern with the Chinese Government on this point.

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Answered by:
Mark Field (Conservative)
10 July 2018