Qantas' Taiwan Status Change Irks Minister

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday expressed concern over a report that Qantas is poised to change the status of Taiwan under pressure from Beijing, saying private firms must be able to conduct business "free from political pressure".

The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a notice to 36 foreign airlines in April, asking them to comply with Beijing's standards of referring to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territories.

Bishop acknowledged that the website was a matter for Qantas, but said: "Private companies should be free to conduct their usual business operations free from political pressure of governments".

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce told reporters at an annual meeting of global airlines in Sydney that "our intention is to meet the requirements", but there were some technical delays.

"We have some complexity to work through. This is not just a Qantas airline, it's a Qantas Group piece that needs to be adjusted," Qantas International chief Alison Webster added.

Webster said the carrier had been given an extension to make the changes.

Qantas' decision to change its websites comes as relations between Canberra and Beijing have soured as Australia introduces a raft of reforms to espionage and foreign interference legislation, with China singled out as a focus of concern.

Beijing has in recent months renewed its push to force Western companies to comply with its naming standards – which Washington has labelled "Orwellian" – or risk losing access to China's huge market.

Clothing supplier Gap and hotel chain Marriott have also come under pressure to amend websites or products that were perceived as slights to its national sovereignty. (AFP)