Taiwan's trade promotion body drops 'China' from name

Asian Economic News, Jan 12, 2004

TAIPEI, Jan. 5 Kyodo

Taiwan's semiofficial trade promotion organization on Monday officially dropped the word ''China'' from its name and replaced it with ''Taiwan'' to better sell locally made products in the international market, the Central News Agency reported.

The China External Trade Development Council will now be known as the Taiwan External Trade Development Council. The council said its Chinese name will not be altered, according to the report.

A ''Call Taiwan Taiwan'' movement is under way on the island to change its official name to Taiwan from the Republic of China.

The government last year began adding the word ''Taiwan'' in English to the cover of its new passports, saying it was aimed at helping foreign customs' officials and airlines distinguish Taiwan citizens from mainland Chinese.

The name ''Republic of China'' is a legacy from when the former ruling Nationalist Party ruled mainland China from Nanjing before fleeing to Taiwan after losing a civil war to the Communists in 1949.