Taiwan changing state-run company names; Blues vow to block

So far, 4 companies have made some name changes: China Petroleum Company (CPC) (中國石油) will be renamed CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油); China Shipbuilding Corp (CSBC) is being renamed to CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船); and the board of the Chunghua Post Co 中華郵政 has approved changing its name to Taiwan Post Co (台灣郵政). Stamps have already been updated. EDIT This just in: on its English website, the CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA: Repubic of China(Taiwan) has been renamed to Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Blues vow to block the name, saying it was illegal to change the name without first amending related legislation,a nd that they would not vote for (prevent the passage of) any such legislation. They are right; if they block the name change, the company cannot legally change the name. The KMT has also promised it will slash the budget of the Post if it tries to implement the name changes.

The Blues have also deemed new textbooks as unconstitutional. They insist the constitution refers specifically to Taiwan and China as being one nation, the Republic of China. I don't believe that is quite the case.

美不支持正名 台聯盼美尊重 橘營疑講講而已

（中央社記者曹宇帆台北十日電）美國國務院表達不支持台灣推動國營企業正名的立場，立法院台聯黨團與橘營今天各表看法，台聯黨團表示，任何主權獨立國家都可更改所屬國營事業名稱，美方應給予尊重；親民黨團則根據過去案例，質疑最後淪為「講講而已」。

美國國務院表達對台灣政府推動國營企業正名的關切（Concern），國務院發言人麥考馬克指出，美國的政策是「不支持（do not support）」台灣行政部門採取任何試圖片面改變台灣現狀或朝向獨立的舉動，其中包括，美國不支持台灣當局更改所屬單位的名稱。

Taiwan vows to keep changing state-run company names despite US objections

TAIPEI (AP) Taiwan said Saturday it will stand by a campaign to remove references to rival China from Taiwanese state-run companies' names despite objections from Washington, the island's main ally.
...
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack made Washington's disapproval clear at a regular briefing Friday in Washington.

``The United States does not ... support changes in terminology for entities administrated by Taiwan authorities,'' he said.

McCormack reiterated the policy of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration to not support Taiwan independence or steps to change the island's current status. The United States, like most countries, does not officially recognize Taiwan's government.

The AP article is very bad. As you can tell just by looking at the English in the Chinese article, the United States neither objected to nor disapproved of Taiwan's policy, merely declined to express support.

My personal feelings on all these name corrections is that many are overdue, they have all been practical (China Airlines hasn't changed it's name yet), and lower cost options seem to be favored. For example, while the DPP chairman expressed that local leaders should rename all the roads throughout Taiwan (in every city) named after Chiang Kai-shek, no local leader from any party has taken the bait on an expensive and basically unnecessary issue.

I mean, I look forward to the day when those street names really are changed, but you need a plan that works, such as doing so when people are already renewing ID cards and household registrations, or when you've slowly made all the signs to keep costs low, and when you've given lots of warning for businesses to change cards and whatnot.