TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's legislature on Wednesday (July 22) passed a resolution to emphasize "Taiwan" over "China" on both the nation's airline name and passport.
The Legislative Yuan on Wednesday passed a resolution by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus to have the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) study and propose a phased plan to relabel China Airlines and for the Cabinet to study ways to better emphasize Taiwan on the country's passport.
The resolution for the airline name modification stated that the MOTC should study and propose a phased and feasible renaming plan for China Airlines. In the early stage, it should mainly focus on a redesign of the aircraft's livery — which does not involve negotiations on the change of aviation rights — such as emphasizing the word "Taiwan" or an image of Taiwan in the design.
As for the rectification of the passport, the DPP resolution requires the Cabinet to work out specific measures to further emphasize both the Mandarin and English words for "Taiwan" (台灣) on the passport cover so as to "safeguard the dignity" of the Taiwanese people while maintaining convenient and safe international travel, reported Liberty Times.
The DPP pointed out that China Airlines is frequently mistaken for "Air China" by air travelers across the globe, which has hampered Taiwan's mask diplomacy efforts, as the national carrier often delivers the face coverings to countries in need. Likewise, the word "China" included with the name "Republic of China" — which is displayed on the top of the current passport cover — has repeatedly resulted in many Taiwanese citizens being mistaken for nationals from communist China.
The resolution called on the MOTC to actively study and put forward relevant policies for strengthening the international identification of China Airlines so as to end confusion with Chinese airlines in the short, medium, and long term. The resolution on the modification of the passports stated that in order to avoid confusion with China, it is calling for the following: "The Cabinet should research and propose specific methods to further enhance the recognition of '台灣' and 'Taiwan' on the passport so as to safeguard the dignity of citizens and ensure the convenience and safety of international travel."
