Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Date: Jun 29, 2018
By: Joe McDonald, Associated Press
BEIJING — Chinese officials have rejected a U.S. request to discuss their demand that airlines describe self-ruled Taiwan as part of China, an order Washington opposes, the American Embassy in Beijing said Thursday.
American officials have told Chinese authorities the United States “strongly objects” to the demand by President Xi Jinping’s government to call the island “Taiwan, China” on maps and internet menus, the embassy said in a statement.
“We are disappointed that China has refused our request for consultations on this issue,” the embassy said. It said the Trump administration was deciding how to respond.
The Communist Beijing government claims Taiwan, separated from the mainland since 1949 following a civil war, as its own territory. China is using its growing economic importance as leverage to isolate the island’s democratically elected government. [FULL STORY]