Taipei Times
Date: Apr 15, 2020
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday voiced support for changing the name of China Airlines (CAL, 中華航空), but said it was not an easy thing to do, as it could affect the nation’s aviation rights.

Amid calls by lawmakers and members of the public for the national carrier to be renamed, Su told reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei that the government would highlight “Taiwan” on the fuselage of CAL planes delivering donated medical supplies to show that they are not from China.

The issue was raised after photographs of CAL planes delivering shipments of masks donated to European nations led some people outside of Taiwan to think the masks had come from China, which Su said had put the nation at an unfair disadvantage.

As of yesterday, an online petition calling for CAL’s name to be changed to “Taiwan Airlines” had 47,000 signatures, while a motion sponsored by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Yi-chin (林宜瑾) to have the nation’s official English-language title changed to “[Republic of] Taiwan” or “Chunghwa” has gained the backing of 17 lawmakers.    [FULL  STORY]