Taipei, May 31 (CNA) Emirates issued a new directive to its Taiwanese cabin crew Wednesday, asking them not to wear any flag pins, after they protested against an order by the airline the previous day to use Chinese lapel flag pins.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Wednesday that it had also lodged a protest with the Emirates headquarters in Dubai over the matter, which started with an email from the airline to its Taiwanese cabin crew members to start observing the "one China" policy with immediate effect.
"This means you must remove the Taiwanese flag from your service waistcoat and replace it with the Chinese flag," the airline said in the email, according to MOFA.
The order was issued at the request of the Chinese government, the airline said.
However, based on the responses of the Taiwanese cabin crew members to the email, Emirates on Wednesday revised the directive, saying that they should not wear any lapel flag pins.
"Please refrain from wearing your Taiwanese flags on flights until further notice," Emirates said in the second email. "Therefore no flag is required on your uniform."
The original order was "incorrect and inappropriate," said the airline, which usually allows its cabin crew to wear the flag pins of their respective countries.
MOFA said that in addition to lodging a protest at Emirates headquarters, it had also called the airline's office in Taiwan and expressed strong discontent over the issue.
The Taiwanese public, meanwhile, took to social media to protest, with some people posting pictures of the Taiwan national flag on Emirates' Facebook page.
"Taiwan is not equivalent to China," some of the posts read.
