As reported by Jing Daily.
Marriott International has had its China website shut down for over a week after the site listed Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as “countries”.
Officially, the first three locations are “autonomous regions” of China, while Hong Kong and Macau are “special administrative regions”. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a “breakaway province” controlled by an illegitimate government.
Marriott’s mistake was (arguably) innocuous. For all intents and purposes, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are “countries” in the sense that they have separate visa and entry requirements. Chinese citizens cannot freely come and go from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan and must apply for visas and permits.
