US airlines that fly to China have caved in to Chinese government pressure over the way they refer to Taiwan, in a move that ignores calls from the White House not to comply with the demand from Beijing.

United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines are all expected to make changes within the next 48 hours, according to one person familiar with the decision taken by the carriers. It is not clear exactly what wording the airlines will use.

The Financial Times reported last month that US officials had asked the three carriers not to accede to the Chinese request to write “Taiwan, China” instead of Taiwan on their websites. Beijing had threatened to cut market access for 36 foreign airlines unless they changed any language which implied that Taiwan, a democratically-ruled independent island claimed by Beijing, was not part of China.