Tsai should rein in her party's extremists

A committee of Taiwan's legislature on Wednesday revoked legislation that prevents extremists from putting pro-independence stickers on island-issued "passports". A meaningless and unnecessary political gimmick that only further poisons trust across the Taiwan Straits.

Unauthorized tampering with "passports" not only potentially undermines their validity and compromises border controls, it may bring trouble to the holders because they could be liable to criminal charges according to the law in some countries and regions.

Despite this, pro-independence separatists on the island have been trumpeting a campaign to put stickers such as those with the words "Republic of Taiwan" on island-issued "passports". The move was so farcical that the authorities on the island amended the regulations last year so the "passports" of those who repeatedly altered them in this way could be revoked.