China Passport Map Row

The Philippines has become the latest country to say it will not stamp visas in a new Chinese passport because it includes a map of the South China Sea that Manila says shows its territory.

China said on Wednesday that people should not read too much into the placement of a new map in its passports that depicts claims to disputed maritime territory, after the United States said it would raise concerns with Beijing over the issue.

Taking a leaf out of Beijing's past practice of issuing stapled visas for residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Vietnam is issuing visas for Chinese passport holders on separate paper, to counter China's map on its new e-passports showing disputed areas as part of its territory.

New Delhi responded on Saturday to China's newly revised passports that show parts of Indian territory as part of China by issuing visas to Chinese citizens that show its own maps.

A new territorial row has broken out between India and China. Sources in government have told NDTV that Beijing is issuing passports to its citizens which show a map that includes Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin (in Ladakh) as part of China.

A map that China has incorporated into its passports has drawn diplomatic fury because it appears to claim the entire South China Sea, ignoring competing claims from the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.

The Philippines has become the latest country to say it will not stamp visas in a new Chinese passport because it includes a map of the South China Sea that Manila says shows its territory.

China said on Wednesday that people should not read too much into the placement of a new map in its passports that depicts claims to disputed maritime territory, after the United States said it would raise concerns with Beijing over the issue.

Taking a leaf out of Beijing's past practice of issuing stapled visas for residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Vietnam is issuing visas for Chinese passport holders on separate paper, to counter China's map on its new e-passports showing disputed areas as part of its territory.

New Delhi responded on Saturday to China's newly revised passports that show parts of Indian territory as part of China by issuing visas to Chinese citizens that show its own maps.

A new territorial row has broken out between India and China. Sources in government have told NDTV that Beijing is issuing passports to its citizens which show a map that includes Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin (in Ladakh) as part of China.

A map that China has incorporated into its passports has drawn diplomatic fury because it appears to claim the entire South China Sea, ignoring competing claims from the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.