CHANGES: Canadian Trade Office Executive Director Mario Ste-Marie announced he is to step down after nearly three years and was awarded the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy
Taipei Times
Date: Jul 01, 2018
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
The Taiwan Society and other groups yesterday urged Canadian airlines not to bow to
Members of non-governmental organizations protest against Air Canada’s decision to refer to Taiwan’s capital as “Taipei, China” on its booking Web site at the Canada Day celebrations in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
pressure from China and to stop listing Taiwan as a part of China on their Web sites.
Many companies have changed Taiwan’s designation on their Web sites since Beijing in April sent letters to 36 global airlines demanding that they refer to Taiwan as a part of its territory. Among the carriers was Air Canada, which last month started referring to Taiwan’s capital as “Taipei, China” on its booking Web site.
The Canadian government would not intervene in the firm’s “commercial” decision, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei Executive Director Mario Ste-Marie said last month, but added that it is opposed to China putting pressure on Canadian firms.
The groups held a news conference at Taipei’s Hakka Cultural Park, where the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan was holding a Canada Day celebration, calling on Ottawa to push the airline to reverse the change. [FULL STORY]
