China Airlines bursts into flames, let's check in with our Beijing bureau
As I've posted often before, I'm routinely called to be a guest on Chinese affairs for Canada's highest profile national radio program, Adler Online. I was contacted last night to discuss the Shandong mine disaster and a second story: the explosion of a China Airlines plane on the tarmac in Okinawa, Japan.
Right away, I knew the producers of the show had no idea that China Airlines is actually Taiwan's national carrier (I hope I don't get blocked for that reference) and doesn't fly to a single (mainland) Chinese city. And I'm willing to bet, in many other parts of the world where people have no clue and/or interest in Asian affairs, China Airlines means the airline belonging to the China that's home to Beijing and Shanghai, chopsticks, the Great Wall and egg foo yong (why haven't I ever seen this dish in China? hmmm....). Hell, one of my close friends recently admitted to me that before he moved to China, he didn't know the difference between Taiwan and Thailand.
Anyway, Rob over at Black and White Cat got me thinking about this a little bit more, thanks to his post "A plane by any other name." Perhaps he's right, that in cases like this, it would be far more wise to allow Taiwan to ditch the word "China" and begin plastering "Taiwan" everywhere.
The fallout from this is that at a time when the world is concerned about the quality of Chinese products, a plane with "China" splashed prominently on the side oddly explodes while parking (docking?). Viewers at home are (generally) not well versed in the nuances of Asian politics, and likely won't make the distinction between Taiwan and China (mainland China/Chinese mainland) Air China and China Airlines. They just see news reports of a China Airlines plane exploding, which must be another example of an unsafe and defective Chinese product.
It's too bad, because this time China really is just the victim.
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Perhaps he's right, that in cases like this, it would be far more wise to allow Taiwan to ditch the word "China" and begin plastering "Taiwan" everywhere.
Ummm...China doesn't "allow" us to do anything, especially when it comes to removing markers of KMT colonialism in Taiwan. And yes, it would be wiser to ditch that name to avoid confusion, one thing all of us here on The Beautiful Isle are tired of.
Of course, China Airlines from the beginning was largely a sinecure for connected mainlanders associated with the KMT regime. So it's less of a mistake than you think to connect China and China Airlines-- where do you think their attitudes toward safety come from?
Michael
I've really enjoyed reading most of your posts thus far. Yet I find it a little hard to believe that Adler Online deserves to be called "Canada's highest profile national radio program." I would say that it's a respected national radio show, more so in western than eastern Canada.
You made a great point about letting Taiwan rename their airline to Taiwan airlines. China needs to put their ego aside in order to protect their ego. Get it?
Michael,
let's put our national pride aside and realize for a minute that indeed China does indirectly allow and disallow Taiwan to do certain things. Indirectly I say. If Taiwan really wants to go 100% independence, why don't they? Because they're afraid of what their big neighbor will do. Also, it's really not in the best interest of Taiwanese companies to tick off China - therefore, yes, China has the upper hand here.
TootToot...
I can tell you as a person from British Columbia, Charles Adler is not too popular there, either (in fact, his taped show has just been moved to the 8pm time slot). But he is the only drive-time (or day-time) national radio host on Canada's only private, national radio network. That's why I used the words "highest profile" instead of "best" or "most popular" or something like that.
Cam.
Actually I disagree with the notion that this is simply bad news publicity for the People's Republic of China.
Such moments confirm and reinforce the prejudices of many mainland Chinese experts that the international media is irresponsible and ill-informed.
They can then use this kind of howler as a perfect example of how the foreign media is getting it all wrong: baby and bathwater.
If I were a propaganda official, I'd see it as a godsend to help me tar all reporters with the same brush.
Maybe I'm being too cynical, but at the very least it's the flipside of youroriginal argument.
Andyinbeijing...
My apologies for getting my back up, but, as a journalist, I take exception to the assertion that international media are "irresponsible and ill-informed." In fact, if you read accounts of the plane explosion in foreign publications, an overwhelming majority point out that China Airlines is the national airline (or based in) Taiwan. I would argue the foreign media is doing its job in reporting this accurately, but that people outside of this region just don't care one way or the other (and who can blame them?).
That being said, I fully admit the people at the radio show seemed unaware this was a Taiwan-based airline, but I would submit they are part of a very small minority.
Cam.