Quartz
Date: April 15, 2020
By: Isabella Steger, Asia deputy editor

When a plane delivering millions of medical face masks landed in Luxembourg on April 9, the livery depicted a plum blossom against a lilac background, and the name “China Airlines.”

The shipment didn’t come from China, however. It came from Taiwan. Though the nation is commonly known as Taiwan, its flag carrier’s name is derived from Taiwan’s official name, which is the Republic of China—the name of the government that once controlled China before it fled to modern-day Taiwan after its defeat in the Chinese Civil War. The People’s Republic of China’s flag carrier is, confusingly, Air China.

As Taiwan steps up its medical diplomacy during the coronavirus pandemic, some Taiwanese officials, and citizens, worry the airline’s ambiguous name could undermine its efforts to assert itself in the international arena. In recent weeks Taiwan has worked to leverage its success in battling coronavirus as well as the world’s growing frustration with China. It has donated millions of face masks to Europe, the US, and its diplomatic allies, while a global campaign to garner support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO) is gaining unprecedented levels of attention and support.    [FULL  STORY]