No Map Detail Goes Unpunished

There is a story today about China and its enforcement of its One China policy, which means Taiwan is part of China, no matter what any other country might say.  The logic of this kind of approach is easy to see, but harder to do anything about.  Start thinking about what can be done.

In today’s story, the Gap Inc, a US company, has transgressed by making a T-shirt with an imprint of the outline of China but not including Taiwan.  The Gap apologized for this seemingly major mistake, because they make a billion or so from China sales every year.   I can’t blame them for saying they were sorry, but I respect them for not taking the shirt off the market.  They have a right to sell this shirt anywhere in the world except China, but we can’t let China influence what we do in other parts of the world.  This is economic extortion, something China is very experienced with.  What they are not experienced with is the rest of the world fighting back.  I want one of those T-shirts and will actively seek one out to wear every day.  None of my friends would have any idea why I liked it so much.

Every time China makes a fuss about something like this, there should be a consequence to the government.  When they complained about Taiwan not being part of airline bookings for China, we should have moved all the operations of Taiwan ticketing to domestic terminals rather than international.  They can’t have it both ways.  They are making this a national initiative to make every communication about Taiwan to be made as if Taiwan were part of China, which it is not.  China can devote as much of their resources to complaining about this kind of thing, but it won’t change the basic fact that Taiwan is not part of China.  No way, no how, to quote the Wizard of Oz.  

The airlines, Gap, Zara, Mercedes, and Marriott International need to look at what they are doing by capitulating before they address the US market.  The customers here do not think Taiwan is part of China.