TAIPEI: Tired of being confused by China Amid the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing’s intensified efforts to assert sovereignty, Taiwan said Wednesday it would redesign its passport to give the island’s name greater prominence.
Taiwan has complained during the outbreak that its citizens have had trouble entering other countries, as Taiwanese passports have the words “Republic of China“, your formal name, written in large English font at the top, with” Taiwan “printed at the bottom.
The new passport, expected to go into circulation in January, eliminates the big words in English. “Republic of China“, although the name in Chinese characters will remain, and the word” Taiwan “in English will increase.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said new passports are needed to prevent its citizens from being mistaken for Chinese nationals, especially with the intensified entry controls that many countries have started since the pandemic began.
“Since the beginning of the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak this year, our people have continued to hope that we can give more prominence to Taiwan’s visibility, preventing people from mistakenly thinking that they are from China“Wu told reporters.
China He claims that democratic Taiwan is his sovereign territory, and says that only he has the right to speak on behalf of the island at the international level, a position he has pushed strongly during the pandemic, especially at the World Health Organization.
Taipei says this has confused countries and led them to impose the same restrictions on Taiwanese travelers as Chinese travelers, and downplayed Taiwan’s successful efforts to control the virus and far fewer numbers.
Taiwan has been debating for years who he is and what exactly is his relationship to China – including the name of the island. But the pandemic has put the issue back in the spotlight.
The government is also considering a name change, or at least a complete redesign, for Taiwan’s largest airline, China Airlines, again to avoid confusion with China.
Taiwan has complained during the outbreak that its citizens have had trouble entering other countries, as Taiwanese passports have the words “Republic of China“, your formal name, written in large English font at the top, with” Taiwan “printed at the bottom.
The new passport, expected to go into circulation in January, eliminates the big words in English. “Republic of China“, although the name in Chinese characters will remain, and the word” Taiwan “in English will increase.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said new passports are needed to prevent its citizens from being mistaken for Chinese nationals, especially with the intensified entry controls that many countries have started since the pandemic began.
“Since the beginning of the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak this year, our people have continued to hope that we can give more prominence to Taiwan’s visibility, preventing people from mistakenly thinking that they are from China“Wu told reporters.
China He claims that democratic Taiwan is his sovereign territory, and says that only he has the right to speak on behalf of the island at the international level, a position he has pushed strongly during the pandemic, especially at the World Health Organization.
Taipei says this has confused countries and led them to impose the same restrictions on Taiwanese travelers as Chinese travelers, and downplayed Taiwan’s successful efforts to control the virus and far fewer numbers.
Taiwan has been debating for years who he is and what exactly is his relationship to China – including the name of the island. But the pandemic has put the issue back in the spotlight.
The government is also considering a name change, or at least a complete redesign, for Taiwan’s largest airline, China Airlines, again to avoid confusion with China.
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