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Air Canada sparks anger among Taiwanese-Canadians

Business community embraces Taipei route but is upset by airline's decision to designate city as part of China on carrier's website
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Top officials from B.C.’s Taiwanese-Canadian business community are concerned that more companies might follow the lead of Air Canada, which decided this week to add CN – mainland China’s national code – to Taipei’s designation on the airline’s website.

Air Canada’s decision has sparked outrage among the Taiwanese-Canadian community and the populace in Taiwan, with some calling for a boycott of the YVR-Taipei route that was relaunched last summer. But local business officials, while upset with the change, are hoping that Air Canada continues with the service.

“For chamber members, Air Canada’s service to Taipei is a benefit for us,” said Charles Chang, president of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in B.C., noting YVR-Taipei fares before Air Canada’s entry was routinely $1,100 and above, while it has now dropped occasionally below $800. “If Air Canada stops operating that route, which I think is a possibility now, that original, higher fare level may come back.”

Other travellers, like Charlie Wu, whose Asian-Canadian Special Events Association has organized Vancouver’s TaiwanFest for almost three decades, have also mentioned the improvement in service that Air Canada’s competition brought to the route, with Taipei-based China Airlines and EVA Air switching to newer aircraft once Air Canada entered the fray.

“I think Air Canada’s decision would probably impact more Canadians, including Taiwanese-Canadians, on this route who were really appreciative of having an option aside from EVA and China Airlines,” Wu said. “Air Canada plays an important role in making this route more affordable.”

Both Chang and Wu, however, noted Canada’s private sector and government should “show more backbone” in resisting foreign interference in Canadian operations.

“If things progress along this line, there may be more Canadian companies that - because of wanting to do business with Beijing - will follow suit despite our Canadian values,” Chang said. “I’m Canadian; doing business here, of course I want to make a profit. But there comes to a point you have to let your value be your compass on business decisions, especially when the pressure from a foreign government is involved.”

Air Canada was a sponsor of TCCBC’s annual gala just a week ago in Metro Vancouver, and the airline’s YVR-Taipei service is still heavily promoted on the website of Formosa Travel, where Chang is general manager.

The Chinese Nationalist government, which ruled China from 1912 to 1949, retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Communist Party, which founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Since then, Beijing has viewed Taiwan as a rebel province and an integral part of its territory, a claim disputed by Taiwan’s residents.

Since establishing official relations with the PRC in 1970, Canada has abided by the One China policy and recognizes Beijing as China's government. Ottawa - along with most other countries in the world - does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state and does not maintain official relations.

But Scott Simon, professor at the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the Centre for International Policy Studies in Ottawa, said most Canadians - including prime ministers - have made mistakes by not understanding Canada's official position on China's claim to Taiwan.

"Canada's protocol with China says that China claims Taiwan as part of China; Canada takes note but neither denies nor endorses that claim," Simon said. "Canadians in general are unaware of that position... If we do not remind China that we do not endorse their position, we send them the message that we do not challenge their claims."

Air Canada has said that its policy is to comply with requirements in jurisdictions where they operate. Chinese embassy officials in Canada applauded the decision as showing respect for the country’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ottawa has vehemently objected to the move and requested a correction “as soon as possible.”

Some other major airlines that have added the “CN” code or the word “China” to Taipei on their websites include British Airways and Malaysian Airlines. When Beijing’s demand first emerged in early May, it elicited a strongly worded response from the White House, which called the request “Orwellian nonsense.” So far, U.S. legacy carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, have not followed suit on the designation change.