Yu said these concerns had been overplayed.
He said 99 percent of foreign visitors to Taiwan have no Mandarin skills, so for them neither Hanyu nor Tongyong would make any sense.
"The most important issue is consistency between maps and street signs," he said.
None of the street signs in Hong Kong and Singapore, the other two Mandarin-speaking countries, are written in Hanyu Pinyin, yet foreign visitors rarely complain, he said.
Yu said that for most foreigners, street signs were just a series of symbols and pronouncing them was irrelevant.
"But in terms of pronunciation, Tongyong is definitely more friendly than Hanyu for foreigners who do not know Mandarin," he added.
"Anyone who retains a fundamental understanding of international languages will respect Taiwan for adopting its own Romanization system."
Even though Tongyong was only created four years ago, several companies, including US-based Microsoft, have already produced software that uses both systems.
Ray Chao (晁旭光), managing director of IQChina Technology Inc (網際智慧股份有限公司), said his company devised software three years ago which enables computers to use either of the two systems.
The software can gain widespread acceptance abroad, especially if it is used by governmental departments, Chao said.
Having championed Tongyong Pinyin since he helped create it, Yu said he was pleased the education ministry had decided to use it.
"It would be an irreparable loss if Taiwan adopts Hanyu Pinyin. Taiwan would risk losing its unique cultural traits and national identity," he said.
"It would be a shame for us to lose the chance to claim our independent sovereignty. With patience and the government's assistance, it is not impossible for the system to be accepted around the world."
RSS