SYDNEY: Qantas chief Alan Joyce on Tuesday defended the carrier’s move to list Taiwan as part of China on its websites after Australia’s foreign minister said 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.
Despite Taiwan having been governed separately for around seven decades, with its own government and own military, China considers the democratic island a renegade part of its territory to be brought back into the fold, by force if necessary.
In late May, AFP found several foreign airlines were still listing Taiwan as a country, including Qantas.
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.
He defended the decision to comply with Beijing’s demands, stressing that “it’s not airlines that define what countries are, it’s governments.”
“And at the end of the day, the Australians, like a lot of countries, have a ‘One China’ policy,” Joyce added.
“So we’re not doing anything different than (what) the Australian government is doing in that case and I think that’s the case for a lot of airlines.”
Qantas International chief Alison Webster said the carrier had been given an extension to make the changes.
“We have some complexity to work through,” she said.
“The IT and technology that underpins our websites and the connectivity takes time for us to get to grips with changes that need to be put into the programming stages of that.”
Qantas’ decision comes amid souring relations between Canberra and Beijing.
Australia has introduced a raft of reforms to espionage and foreign interference legislation, with China singled out as a focus of concern.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday 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.”
Air Canada chief executive Calin Rovinescu said that his carrier, which has made the changes, was “not a government” and was “not making any kind of a political statement.”
“We do, like so many of the other airlines, take the same view that when we operate into the various jurisdictions, we’ll comply with the requirements of the various jurisdictions,” he said.
“As difficult and sensitive a decision as this is, our view is that we would comply with the Chinese government requirement.”
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 China’s sovereignty.
Qantas defends listing Taiwan as part of China
Qantas defends listing Taiwan as part of China
- Qantas’ decision comes amid souring relations between Canberra and Beijing
- 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
Acwa signs key terms to develop 5GW of renewable energy capacity in Turkiye
JEDDAH: Saudi utility giant Acwa has signed key investment agreements with Turkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to develop up to 5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, starting with 2GW of solar power across two plants in Sivas and Taseli.
Under the investment agreement, Acwa will develop, finance, and construct, as well as commission and operate both facilities, according to a press release.
The program builds on the company’s first investment in Turkiye, the 927-megawatt Kirikkale Independent Power Plant, valued at $930 million, which offsets approximately 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the statement added.
A separate power purchase agreement has been concluded with Elektrik Uretim Anonim Sirketi for the sale of electricity generated by each facility.
Turkiye aims to boost solar and wind capacity to 120GW by 2035, supported by around $80 billion in investment, while recent projects have already helped prevent 12.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and reduced reliance on imported natural gas.
Turkiye’s energy sector has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, with renewable power emerging as a central pillar of its strategy.
Raad Al-Saady, vice chairman and managing director of ACWA, said: “The signing of the IA (implementation agreement) and PPA key terms marks a pivotal moment in Acwa’s partnership with Turkiye, reflecting the country’s strong potential as a clean energy leader and manufacturing powerhouse.”
He added: “Building on our long-standing presence, including the 927MW Kirikkale Power Plant commissioned in 2017, this step elevates our partnership to a new level,” Al-Saady said.
In its statement, Acwa said the 5GW renewable energy program will deliver electricity at fixed prices, enhancing predictability for grid planning and supporting long-term industrial investment.
By replacing imported fossil fuels with domestically generated clean energy, the initiative is expected to reduce Turkiye’s exposure to global energy market volatility, strengthening energy security and lowering long-term power costs.
The company added that the economic impact will extend beyond the anticipated investment of up to $5 billion in foreign direct investment, with thousands of jobs expected during the construction phase and hundreds of high-skilled roles created during operations.
The energy firm concluded that its existing progress in Turkiye reflects a strong appreciation for Turkish engineering, construction, and manufacturing capacity, adding that localization has been a strategic priority, and it has already achieved 100 percent local employment at its developments in the country.
