Map in new Chinese e-passport riles Vietnam, Philippines

Beijing: China waded into a new controversy over its maritime claims as Vietnam and the Philippines protested the printing of Chinese map on the new e-passport showing the disputed islands in the South China Sea as part of its territory.

Reports say both the Philippines and Vietnam have objected to China over the e-passport including the disputed islands in the South China Sea which they lay claim to.

Though technically it is Chinese passport, they argue that it posed a problem in stamping visas to its holders as it could amount to endorsing China’s stand. Thousands of Chinese tourists visit these countries every year. China began issuing new passports containing an electronic chip this year.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security said in May that the introduction of e-passport will help improve the security effectively preventing counterfeiting. Besides name and date of birth, the chipped passport will now contain the holder’s fingerprints, signature and digital photo and could facilitate automatic processing at customs points.

It also apparently contained a map inside with nine dashes showing the disputed islands in the South China Sea.

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Article courtesy of Zee News, image courtesy of People’s Daily Online.