Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang acknowledged Wednesday that a number of American airlines had changed the Taiwan references on their websites.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang [File photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

He said China expected foreign companies to respect China's sovereign and territorial integrity when operating in the country.

China's civil aviation authority sent a formal notice to 44 foreign airlines in April, asking them to change their websites to list Taiwan as part of China.

Geng said the Chinese side had noticed positive developments on the matter.

"China is willing to share its development opportunities with foreign companies, and welcome them to invest in China," Geng said.

He urged foreign companies to "respect Chinese laws and regulations, sovereign and territorial integrity, and the Chinese people's feelings" when operating in China.

"We will also protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law and provide a fair environment for their operations," he said.