Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force on May 11 again conducted encirclement patrols around Taiwan, the previous time being in December last year. These drills are only the latest act in a period of deteriorating relations between China and Taiwan, in which Chinese military posturing has notably increased.

Last month, China announced plans for live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait, mere hours after having completed the largest naval parade in the country’s history. In addition, the Chinese navy’s sole operational aircraft carrier, the 60,000-tonne Liaoning, has made “routine patrols” past the coast of Taiwan on three separate occasions this year alone.

Global airlines are obeying Beijing’s demands to refer to Taiwan explicitly as a part of China, despite the White House’s call this month to stand firm against such “Orwellian nonsense.”

The Associated Press found 20 carriers, including Air Canada, British Airways and Lufthansa, that now refer to Taiwan, the self-ruled nation that Beijing considers Chinese territory, as a part of China on their global Web sites.