Qantas,whose alliance partners include one of China's largest airlines,declined to comment.

The Chinese government considers Taiwan a breakaway province that will one day be reunited with the mainland,and its aviation regulator wrote to about 30 foreign airlines early this year demanding they stop referring to it as an independent nation.

Eighteen other airlines,including Air Canada,Lufthansa and British Airways,have complied with China's demands. China is forecast to overtake the US as the world's largest aviation market within five years,and Qantas has direct flights to Beijing,Shanghai and Hong Kong.