China has denied putting political pressure on Qantas to make it change how it refers to Taiwan on its website, after the Australian government criticised Beijing's approach.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China gave about 40 foreign airlines until May 25 to remove references on their websites and in publicity and administrative materials that suggest Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are territories independent of China.
Qantas was granted an extension to meet the deadline for the order, which was branded "Orwellian nonsense" by the White House.
Australia's government had expressed concern over pressure on Australian companies after Qantas changed the way it referred to Taiwan on its website at the request of Beijing.
"There is only one China in the world. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau have always been part of China. This is an objective fact and a matter of international consensus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing, adding that requests to change names did not amount to political pressure.
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop reiterated her stance against Beijing's pressure.
"The decision of how Qantas structures its website is a matter for the company's management," Bishop said in a statement.
The measure is part of China's policy of isolating Taiwan, as the communist regime's ties have deteriorated with the Taiwanese government led by pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen.
Australian companies warned
Australian companies are being warned they could soon find themselves joining Qantas.
Dr Sow Keat Tok, a lecturer with the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, expects it's a taste of things to come for other Australian companies as China exerts its growing political and economic power.
He believes Qantas and other airlines complied with China's demand over Taiwan out of fear their landing slots at China's airports could be cut at a time when tourism is booming there.
"Given the close economic ties between Australia and China it makes sense for Qantas to make a market decision to conform to the Chinese demands," Dr Tok told AAP on Tuesday.
"It's better from the corporate perspective to have China on your side than not on because China's influence is getting a lot bigger over time."
Dr Tok said the US had applied similar pressure to countries over the years, including its recent threats to EU member nations over Iran trade sanctions.
"China is not unique," he said.
"The US has been doing very much the same thing."
Qantas defends decision
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has defended the airline's decision to change the way it refers to Taiwan, saying it is in line with Australia's One China policy, which does not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation.
"It's very clear that airlines don't decide what countries are called, governments do," Fairfax and News Corp reported Mr Joyce saying at the International Air Transport Association conference in Sydney on Tuesday.
"We're not doing anything different than the Australian government is doing in that case and I think that's the case with a lot of airlines."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia has had a One China policy for decades.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the airline will refer to Taiwan as a Chinese territory. Source: AAP
"We deal with Taiwan of course... (but) diplomatic relations are with the People's Republic of China," he told reporters in Queensland.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop reiterated her concerns about China's request to airlines regarding Taiwan but noted that Qantas was free to make its own corporate decisions.
"Private companies should be free to conduct their usual business operations free from political pressure of governments," she said.
Defence Minister Marise Payne echoed that view.
"Our view is that businesses should make their own decisions about how they articulate their website material," she said.
