China furious with Marriott Hotels after chain suggests Tibet is a country
The global hotel chain Marriott is in trouble with the Chinese authorities for describing Tibet as a separate country, thereby “disrespecting” the sovereignty of the People’s Republic.
The state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) is reporting that Marriott is under investigation after an email it sent to members of its loyalty scheme were asked to name the country where they lived. The choices included Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, all of which are regarded by the Beijing government as being part of China.
The former British and Portuguese territories of Hong Kong and Macau respectively are now part of the People’s Republic. Tibet is officially known as the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The Foreign Office warns British travellers: “Don’t attempt to travel there without the right permits.”
Taiwan, the island which calls itself the Republic of China, is regarded by Beijing as part of the People’s Republic. In October a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office told Reuters: “Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, has never been a country and can never become a country.”
A user of the Sina Weibo social media site, “Zhongjusaodi”, posted screen shots claimed to be from the Marriott Rewards survey. The user said that the English-language version of the survey did not contain the options.
According to CGTN, some social media users have called for a boycott of Marriott.
The authorities in Shanghai Huangpu District have ordered Marriott to delete the content that has caused offence and to check its online platforms to prevent any repeat.
The Independent has approached Marriott for comment. The company is understood to have apologised and suspended its survey activities pending amendments.
The UK, in common with other Western governments, respects Chinese sensitivities by refusing officially to acknowledge Taiwan's independence. The Foreign Office says: “The UK does not recognise Taiwan as a state and has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan.” However, both Taiwanese airlines, China Airlines and Eva Air, operate frequent flights between London and the capital, Taipei.
