A new passport redesign will give more prominence to the word “Taiwan” and minimize “Republic of China,” so as to avoid confusion about the travel document’s origin.

The Executive Yuan of the Taiwanese government decided on the new look to “protect the rights and dignity” of residents during travel, especially given that many countries had strengthened their entry checks due to the coronavirus, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu said on Wednesday.

The fresh design enlarges the word “Taiwan” in English, and relegates the official name of the self-ruled island to a smaller font size that encircles the national emblem. The government would start issuing the new passports in January with the same application fee, Wu said.

President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen said the design overhaul was backed by popular demand, and that it would bring residents more “convenience and travel safety.”

“I think this is the common wish of many Taiwanese, especially people who travel abroad frequently… The new design announced today makes the passport more easily distinguishable and strengthens its Taiwanese elements,” Tsai said.

Asked if her administration planned to change the name of the government-owned carrier China Airlines — a common source of confusion — an Executive Yuan spokesperson said that a committee was studying the issue.

Lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party argued in favor of the name change, saying that Taiwan had not been given proper credit for its achievements.

A Czech delegation visiting Taiwan recently was photographed exiting a China Airlines passenger flight, but the signage on the fuselage led some to mistakenly believe the trip took place in mainland China.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying poked fun at the image on Twitter, calling it “ironic” that Czech politicians “took a China Airlines flight to one of China’s provinces to sabotage China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Lo said that the cost of a name-changing exercise would be insignificant, compared to losses suffered by Taiwan via its use of the name “China Airlines.”

Lawmakers from another political grouping, the New Power Party, also felt the carrier should be renamed, and that the extent of changes should exceed that of the passport redesign.

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