Taipei Airport To Change Name

Taipei airport to change name to remove China's influence

TAIPEI: -- In another move to cut off links with China, Taiwan plans to change the name of Taipei's major airport from Chiang Kai- shek International Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, a newspaper said Friday. The Transport Ministry has filed an application for the name change, and the Cabinet is expected to approve it Friday, the Liberty Times quoted an unnamed official as saying.

When Taiwan began building CKS International Airport, Taiwan's largest airport, its was known as Taoyuan International Airport because it was situated at Taoyuan County, 40 kilometres southwest of Taipei. When the airport opened on February 26, 1979, to the public's surprise, the name had been changed to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to commemorate Republic of China founder Chiang Kai-shek, who died in 1975.

Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, served as Taiwan's president from 1978-88.

Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang or KMT) ruled Taiwan from 1949-2000. After the pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2000, it has been trying to erase all influence of the Chiangs and to cut Taiwan's links with China.

On August 12, President Chen Shui-bian said it was time for Taiwan to consider applying to join the United Nations in the name of Taiwan and to take steps to emphasize Taiwan's sovereignty, like changing the name of the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to Taoyuan International Airport.

China, which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province, is watching closely Taiwan's "de-sinocization" moves and has warned that it would use force to recover Taiwan if Taipei seeks independence.

--DPA 2006-08-31