TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two proposals to hold referendums on emphasizing "Taiwan" on the cover of Taiwanese passports passed the first reading on Tuesday (April 28).

During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday, a version proposed by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and 13 other lawmakers calling for voters to be able to choose between the current version of the passport and a new design has passed its first reading, reported Liberty Times. A second version proposed by Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) that simply proposes replacing the current wording with “Taiwan" also passed.

Chen argued that the current passport, which reads "Republic of China Taiwan," has long led to confusion over the nationality of Taiwanese when they travel abroad, sometimes resulting in them being mistaken for citizens of communist China. As governments change their policies toward China amid the catastrophic Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Chen argued that it is necessary for Taiwanese to be able to distinguish themselves from Chinese and to give the country a chance to take its own distinctive place on the world stage.

Chen advocated "China" being removed from the passport entirely and replaced with “Taiwan (臺灣)." In explaining his reasoning, Chen cited President Tsai Ing-wen as saying (蔡英文) "No one needs to apologize for their country's identity."

Chen emphasized that Taiwan's achievements in fighting off the coronavirus have been recognized by the world, but because it has China on its passport, "We are considered by foreign countries to be from China, not Taiwan, and we are even suppressed and discriminated against." Chen argued that Taiwan should explain to the world that it is different from China, and polls show that 80 percent of citizens consider themselves Taiwanese, therefore representing mainstream opinion.

Meanwhile, the DPP proposal requires "the executive branch to study and propose specific measures on how to further improve the identification of" '台灣' and 'Taiwan' on Chinese passports, so as to safeguard the human dignity of the country and ensure the convenience and safety of international travel." The DPP said the new design should follow the principle of "least disputes, greatest difference" (最小紛爭、最大區別) when being formulated.