Washington DC : Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China, along with Senator Marsha Blackburn, addressed a letter to the leaders of Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt Hotels expressing significant concerns over the companies' use of the phrase "Taiwan, China" in their websites and marketing materials, as highlighted in a statement from The Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP).
The legislators contend that this type of labelling goes against established United States policy and falsely validates the Chinese Communist Party's assertions regarding Taiwan.
"The current practice, with implicit reference to Taiwan being a part of China, stands in stark contrast to the position of the United States government to the detriment of Taiwan, a thriving democracy and one of America's top trading partners," said Chairman Moolenaar and Senator Blackburn, the SCCCP had said in a statement on Wednesday.
The letter mentions a joint statement issued by the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and State in October 2024 that recommended Fortune 500 companies to denote Taiwan as "Taiwan," following the United States policy maintained by both Republican and Democratic administrations, as emphasised in the SCCCP release.
"Using terminology such as 'Taiwan, China,' gives false credence to the PRC's position of authority and sovereignty over Taiwan and implies that Taiwan is the property of the PRC," the letter continues. "Not only does this directly contradict US policy, but it also undermines Taiwan's democratic system," as cited by SCCCP in the statement.
Moolenaar and Blackburn are urging hotel chains to reevaluate their stance and ensure Taiwan is accurately represented on their international platforms. "We urge Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt to review this practice and ensure that your companies' language on both United States and Taiwan-hosted websites properly reflects long-standing United States policy," the letter concluded, according to the SCCCP statement.