The foreign ministry is studying whether to add the word "Taiwan" to Taiwan passports which now bear the country's formal designation of Republic of China. The issue, however, triggered stark warnings from China and fierce debates among local officials, lawmakers and travel agents.
"We are studying whether or not to add the word `Taiwan' to our passports. We will make a decision after hearing opinions from all walks of life and after studying the relevant international rules," Katharine Chang (
Although Chang said that there is no timetable for the final decision, a reliable source told the Taipei Times that the issue was not deemed "urgent" by the foreign ministry.
"The budget allocation and planning for this issue was originally scheduled for next year," the insider said under condition of anonymity.
The issue, however, drew public scrutiny after Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), senior advisor to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), revealed the government's plans to the media earlier this year.
On June 27, China warned Taiwan that the speculative plans to change passports was a "very risky action," and that to place the word "Taiwan" on the nation's passport would advance Taiwanese independence sentiments.
Opposition lawmakers even threatened to boycott the foreign ministry's budget bill for the next fiscal year if the government decides to put the word "Taiwan" on the cover of ROC passports.
Some, such as Levi Ying (營志宏) from the New Party, said that such a move would involve "changes in Taiwan's national designation" and thus may violate related rules in the country's constitution.
But foreign ministry officials and travel agents said that the issue has been "politicized," stressing the pragmatic considerations surrounding the discussion.
The foreign ministry spokeswoman voiced the official line behind the project, saying: "the purpose of doing this is to avoid Taiwan passports being faked and to prevent Taiwan tourists from being mistaken for mainland Chinese tourists."
Speaking from his 19 years of experience as a tour guide for Taiwan's overseas travelling groups, Thomson Wu (吳唐生), managing director of Globair Travel Agency (高寶旅行社), offered what he saw as pragmatic considerations to be taken into account when considering the issue.
"I did not have political motives [when I said I supported the move]. I am just a businessman. This nation's passport has an established, good reputation and it's necessary to distinguish it from the passport from the other side of the Taiwan Strait," Wu told the Taipei Times.
Wu even tabled the proposal at a meeting of the Taipei Association of Travel Agents over a year ago, drawing support from many of his counterparts, according to Deng Ming-chang (鄧明昌), Secretary General of the association.
"Some customs officers overseas even intentionally find fault with Taiwanese passport holders because they mistake them for mainlanders," Deng said.
As the number of mainland overseas tourists has increased over recent years -- and many of these have built up a record of illegally staying overseas -- Taiwan passport holders who have been mistaken for mainland travelers had to suffer undeserved disrespect and inconvenience, Wu said.
In fact, it is the private sector which is urging the government to find a way whereby customs officials can easily tell Taiwanese passports from mainland passports that first triggered the related studies in the foreign ministry, according to the insider.
"Believe or not, the original discussion was not triggered by political considerations. The discussion began even before the presidential office requested the foreign ministry to study the feasibility" of the plan, the insider said.
He denied media reports which alleged that the Presidential Office had presented several possible changes to the foreign ministry.
"We are open to all options," the insider said, adding that to maintain the status quo was one of the possible options.
Countering allegations that the name-change idea may involve changes in Taiwan's national designation, the ministry spokeswoman said that "no matter how our passports change, our country's name will remain the ROC."
Another outspoken foreign ministry official was direct in her comments. "If to add the word `Taiwan' to our passport violates the constitution, then the fact that Taiwan joins APEC under the title of `Chinese Taipei' also violates the constitution," said the official under condition of anonymity.
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