Lawmakers yesterday called for the removal or replacement of a map in the Legislative Yuan which places the capital of the Republic of China (ROC) in Nanjing, and portrays Mongolia as part of its territory.
Replacing the map with one that accurately reflects the nation is an important first step before tackling other issues, such as moving the Legislative Yuan or amending the Constitution, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said.
The map, near a stairwell in one of the legislature’s buildings, often appears on TV when reporters interview legislators.
Photo: Wu Su-wei, Taipei Times
It was put up in 2016 after a previous map had been defaced, and the Chinese characters for “Taiwan” removed, a source said.
As officials were unable to purchase a replacement map large enough, they sourced one from the military, which was older with outdated markings, the source said.
Authorities at the time appended the map with the statement: “The boundaries on this map do not conform to political fact.”
“With the way it portrays the ROC territory, that map is like one from a parallel universe — it is out of step with current thinking,” Chen said.
DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said that the map would only “lead people to engage in fantasies,” and called on the legislature to replace it.
Hanging a factually inaccurate map in the legislature was meaningless, he said.
“That map might be confusing for foreign visitors or members of the public, especially since the map depicts Taiwan on the periphery of the ROC,” New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said, adding that this was “unfair to the 23 million people” of Taiwan.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator William Tseng (曾銘宗) said that the map is accurate, until the Constitution and laws are amended to change the nation’s official territory.
The legislature should proceed cautiously and hear the various opinions on the matter before replacing the map, he said.
Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said the legislature was already discussing the issue, and that if it could find a suitable map it would replace it.
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