Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

New ROC passports to carry "Taiwan" on cover, beginning Sept. 1
June 12, 2003

Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien announced June 12 that, beginning Sept. 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will add the word "Taiwan" in English to the covers of all new passports that it issues. MOFA is taking this step, the minister said, because customs authorities abroad and international airlines have long had difficulty distinguishing between passports issued by the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan and passports issued by the People's Republic of China on the mainland.

Each of nine public opinion surveys sponsored by MOFA over the last two years indicated that more than half of the people in Taiwan favored annotating the passports by adding the word "Taiwan."

Under standard international practice, a country that amends its passport must distribute copies of the new passport to other countries in advance for the reference of their customs and immigration authorities, who will then admit travelers carrying either a new or an old version of the passport.