LEGISLATIVE QUESTIONS: Lin Chia-lung was set to discuss relief plans for airlines, travel agencies and other firms hurt by the pandemic, but lawmakers raised other issues

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 16, 2020 page
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

The cost of renaming China Airlines (CAL) was the subject of heated debate between Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and several lawmakers at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee in Taipei yesterday.

Lawmakers opposed to the idea said that the name change would cost the nation approximately NT$1.1 billion (US$36.63 million), as well as the reputation the airline has built over the years.

Lin, who has said he was open to the change, was scheduled to brief lawmakers about the government’s bailout plans for airlines, transportation companies and tourism agencies hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, but lawmakers’ questions focused on the renewed calls in the past few days to change CAL’s name.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) asked Lin if any countries had actually mistaken Taiwan for China when they saw the banners that China Airlines hung on containers of mask donations sent by the government.    [FULL  STORY]