Lawmakers yesterday passed a resolution recommending that "Taiwan" in Roman script be printed above "Passport" on the cover of nation's passports, alongside the country's formal designation, Republic of China (ROC).
The resolution was aimed at overturning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' decision in January, which stated that "Issued in Taiwan" would be placed at the bottom of the nation's passport covers beginning in November.
DPP Legislator Trong Chai (
The decision was meant to prevent the ROC from being mistaken for the PRC, but it has instead further confused the relationship between China and Taiwan, according to Chai.
Adding "Issued in Taiwan" would denigrate Taiwan's national status because it leads people to think that Taiwan is a regional government of China, similar to the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing, Chai said.
The DPP lawmaker added that the addition of "Issued in Taiwan" does not follow international practice and considers the proposal to add "Taiwan" above "Passport" to be a more pragmatic approach.
Chai stressed that the change would not alter Taiwan's official title.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Katharine Chang (
The decision announced in January has triggered a mixed response in Taiwan.
Some said it would be a great stride forward for the nation to see "Issued in Taiwan" printed on passport covers, but critics of the decision, such as Chai, argued that the move would belittle Taiwan's national status.
While China has denounced the plan as a step toward independence, opinion polls suggest a majority of Taiwanese support the idea.
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