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Google Earth pic of Presidential Office leads to complaints

Upset Taiwanese Internet users are calling on fellow users to send complaints to Google after a picture was uploaded to the Google Earth service showing Taiwan’s Presidential Office building with a People’s Republic of China (PRC) flag flying above it.

The picture, bearing the title “China Taipei,” was uploaded on June 8 by a Google member under the account name “hellboy 23.”

Although fewer than 2,000 people had viewed the picture as of press time, many who saw it were upset.

‘SHAMELESS’

“It’s so stupid to play a little trick like this, what shameless behavior,” an Internet user with the account name Chiu-feng (秋風) said in a comment on the picture.

“If you’re really that great, come to Taiwan on a direct cross-strait charter flight, climb up the Presidential Office tower and fly your flag there — I’d really be impressed if you could do so,” another Internet user under the name kaku0320 said.

There are similar computer-generated pictures on Google Earth.

A few days earlier, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported on a picture showing a PRC flag flying atop the main peak of Yushan (玉山).

DONGSHA ISLETS

Another picture showing the Taiwanese controlled Dongsha Islets in the South China Sea was uploaded by an Internet user with the title “China’s Beautiful Dongsha islets.”

Despite protests, the Presidential Office and the Yushan pictures are yet to be removed, but have been labeled: “The position of this picture has been disputed.”

Google responded that as all disputes are handled through its global headquarters in Mountain View, California, it may take some time for the Google team to examine the facts and take appropriate action.
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