Taiwan protests Chinese passports over territory claim
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos
A Chinese man holds up a Chinese passport where the top left corner shows a territorial map of China that includes disputed South China Sea islands outside a passport office in Beijing, China, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. Taiwan on Friday protested after China started issuing new passports with maps that feature two of the island's most famous scenic spots as part of Chinese territory. -- PHOTO: AP
TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan on Friday protested after China started issuing new passports with maps that feature two of the island's most famous scenic spots as part of Chinese territory.
Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou urged China not to "unilaterally damage the status quo of the hard-fought stability across the Taiwan Strait", his office said in a statement.
China's new computer-chipped passports are equipped with a map that covers Sun Moon Lake and Cingshui Cliff, both popular tourist destinations on Taiwan.
The Mainland Affairs Council, the island's top China policy-making body, stressed that Taiwan "is an independent sovereign country".
Related Stories
