Why United Won't Lose Altitude in China

By mid-afternoon Tuesday, Chinese online anger at United Airlines was running so hot that the hashtag #UnitedForcesPassengerOffPlane was receiving 20 million views per hour on the Sina Weibo social network. Such fury is more typically reserved for geopolitical spats with the likes of Japan and South Korea. It's little wonder that the outrage earned the attention of United Continental Holdings Inc. shareholders, who drove the company's stock down 4 percent while the hashtag was still atop the rankings.

On the surface, the nosedive might seem warranted. China is the world's fastest-growing major commercial aviation market, and the preferences and prejudices of Chinese passengers will shape airline fortunes for years to come. But in the medium term, United has less to fear from those millions of irked Chinese netizens than one might think.