Category: Questions

Q Asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood
Asked on: 11 July 2018

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Taiwan: China / HL9452

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take measures to protect British Airways and any other UK companies from being pressured into changing the designation of Taiwan to Taiwan, China.

A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Answered on: 19 July 2018

Her Majesty’s Government’s long-standing policy on Taiwan has not changed. The British government refers to Taiwan as simply “Taiwan” and, when included in a list of places, does so under an inclusive heading, such as “country/territory” or “world locations”. When guidance has been sought from Her Majesty’s Government on the terminology to use, we have been clear about the British Government’s terminology for Taiwan.

Private companies and organisations should be able to decide the terminology that they use to list destinations. UK companies should not be placed under political pressure to make changes. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Officials have registered our concern with the Chinese Government on this point.

Q Asked by Andrea Jenkyns (Morley and Outwood)
Asked on: 02 July 2018

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
China: Multinational Companies / 159672

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to join allies of the UK in countering China’s (a) pressuring of airlines to comply with its nomenclature for Taiwan and (b) attempting in other ways to impose its political ideology on international companies.

A Answered by: Mark Field
Answered on: 10 July 2018

Her Majesty’s Government’s long-standing policy on Taiwan has not changed. The British Government refers to Taiwan as simply “Taiwan” and, when included in a list of places, does so under an inclusive heading, such as “country/territory” or “world locations”. When guidance has been sought from HMG on the terminology to use, we have been clear about the British Government’s terminology for Taiwan.

Private companies and organisations should be able to decide the terminology that they use to list destinations. UK companies should not be placed under political pressure to make changes. FCO Officials have registered our concern with the Chinese Government on this point.

Q Asked by Andrea Jenkyns (Morley and Outwood)
Asked on: 02 July 2018

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
China: Multinational Companies / 159671

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the implications are for his policies of China’s (a) pressuring British Airways and other airlines to use its nomenclature for Taiwan on their websites and (b) interfering in other ways in the free operation of international business.

A Answered by: Mark Field
Answered on: 10 July 2018

Her Majesty’s Government’s long-standing policy on Taiwan has not changed. The Government refers to Taiwan as simply “Taiwan” and, when included in a list of places, does so under an inclusive heading, such as “country/territory” or “world locations”. When guidance has been sought from HMG on the terminology to use, we have been clear about the British Government’s terminology for Taiwan.

Private companies and organisations should be able to decide the terminology that they use to list destinations. UK companies should not be placed under political pressure to make changes. FCO Officials have registered our concern with the Chinese Government on this point.