TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese illustrator is threatening to boycott the Bologna Children's Book Fair and the Ministry of Culture has filed a protest after it inexplicably changed its listing for Taiwan to "Taipei."

Illustrator Lin Lian-en (林廉恩) on Monday (Oct. 10) took to Facebook to point out that the listing for Taiwan on Bologna Children's Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition sign-up page has been changed to "Taipei." Lin wrote that she had spent a long time creating an illustration and considered submitting her work despite the organization's mislabeling of her country.

However, after giving the matter more thought, Lin stated that she was relieved when she came to a final decision. She logged back in and deleted all her registration information and vowed not to submit any works to the exhibition this year.

Lin attached a screenshot from the registration page showing the "Taipei" label and wrote, "I hope everyone can understand how fragile our situation is in the world. This list not only lacks Taiwan, but it doesn't even have the ROC."

Under her post, graphic artist "I am Mark" (我是馬克) left a message of support, "Let's work together to enable creators in Taiwan to not be suppressed and shine internationally." There are 180 comments under Lin's post, many by fellow artists supporting her decision to take a stand over the name change.

On Tuesday (Oct. 11), the Ministry of Culture issued a statement that the Taiwan pavilion has participated in the Bologna Children's Book Fair for many years and has often received recognition. It stated that Taiwan's representative office in Italy has formally sent a letter to the organizer of the book exhibition to express its solemn protest.

It pledged that it will continue to express through diplomatic channels its request that the organizers uphold professionalism, respect the national identity of Taiwanese artists, and restore the country's name "Taiwan" to the Bologna Children's Book Fair official registration system.