The Marriott Mess

A small lake in Taitung.

The news broke like a storm across Taiwan groups: Marriott had kow-towed after sending around a survey to its global rewards club...:

The survey sent to customers asked in which country they lived and gave options including Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"We absolutely will not support any separatist organization that will undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the Marriott statement. "We apologize for any act that may give rise to misunderstandings."

Beijing is intensely sensitive about the status of Taiwan, the self-ruled island the communist mainland claims as part of its territory, and of Tibet.

The language was obviously dictated by Beijing. Beijing also followed up by putting pressure on other corporations to change their language. More will follow; this is only part of a long game. Marriott also had to fire an employee who clicked "like" on a article about Tibetan independence. China is putting pressure on every institution of world society: government, corporations, educational institutions (see Jon Sullivan's most recent piece on universities here). Eventually it will get around to the legal frameworks like GATT and WTO and the financial frameworks.

Someone remarked on Twitter that the hegemon reproduces in its external environment the politics of its domestic environment. The Chinese-run world is going to be much uglier than even the US-run world. I expect that one of the few delights of my declining years is going to listen to all those idiots who hated on the US nostalgically extolling the virtues of the US-based order...

Many Taiwan supporters were incensed at Marriott's decision. But let's remember that Marriott has over 100 hotels in China. My friend Michal Thim pointed out that Marriott has no choice, because it has thousands of employees that Beijing's security forces can hold hostage for its good behavior: it can casually destroy many lives to punish Marriott. Certainly this would send a message to the foreign business community in China. It would also destroy many lives. What would you choose?
________________
Daily Links:

• Jenna with a hilarious send up of the listicle habits of Taiwan News and other publications that write on Taiwan
• Piece for the Taiwan Sentinel writes that people are now worried that China is showing emerging signs of being an ethnonationalist power. Quite true: people have been saying that for decades.
• Another 100 Taiwanese and Chinese arrested for fraud in Phils.
• Taiwan man sanctioned for oil sales to N Korea.
• Aging academic workforce is problem for Taiwan and Japan. The real problem is the reported deteriorating work conditions. There are plenty of PHDs in Taiwan, we overproduce them. So replacing faculty won't be a problem. 
• Microsoft opens AI institute in Taiwan
• KMT worship of Chiang Ching-kuo continues on the 30th anniversary of his death. Call me when the killers of Lin Yi-hsiung's family are brought to justice. 
• This thread on Twitter is about an academic presenting on brawls in Taiwan's legislature. Stuff we all know from living here, but a useful round up. 
• Washington Post publishes Chinese propaganda as a paid ad. Note that the "this is a paid ad" notification doesn't tell you who paid for the ad. It is sick that papers in democracies forward this garbage. 
• Cole on why China expanded the air route in the Taiwan Strait right now, breaking its agreement with Taiwan.

_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!