Voted on by thousands of Taiwanese, the results of a “We are Taiwan” Passport Cover Design Competition are in — and bubble tea fans won’t be impressed.

The competition encouraged citizens to submit designs highlighting unique characteristics of Taiwan, from geographical and ecological features to food culture. 

There were 127 entries submitted. Entries were divided into two categories: The International Standards Category and the Creative Category. Works submitted for the International Standards Category had to comply with the relevant regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for passport covers, whereas applications under the Creative Category didn’t.

The winning design (under the International Standards Category) features a green cover with motifs of the shape of the island, plum blossoms (Taiwan’s official flower) and native animals like the Formosan black bear.

Meanwhile, the entries in the Creative Category were more, well, creative, with plenty of representations of the island’s favorite beverage, bubble tea. But in the end, the winning design was a cover featuring Taiwan’s endemic species.

Geopolitical issues

Taiwan’s official name is the “Republic of China” (ROC), tracing its founding to 1911 on the Chinese mainland after the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty.

Mainland China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949 following the Communist victory on the mainland after a civil war, although a shared cultural and linguistic heritage mostly endures.

But China considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory, and comes down hard on any suggestions to the contrary.

In 2018, Beijing demanded global airlines change how they refer to Taiwan on their websites or risk sanctions. In response, the White House issued a scathing statement criticizing Beijing for pressuring US carriers and other companies on this issue.