In the face of widespread criticism, President Chen said that when Taiwanese are traveling abroad their passports are frequently mistaken for those of the PRC. For this reason, printing the phrase "Issued in Taiwan" on a passport, just like printing the phrase "Made in Taiwan" on Taiwanese products, would give people a sense of pride.
面對各界的指責，陳水扁總統表示，國人在海外走訪時，所持護照常被誤認為中華人民共和國護照，所以印上「ISSUED IN TAIWAN」就像台灣產品印上「MADE IN TAIWAN」一樣讓人引以為傲。