Anger at being confused with China amid the coronavirus outbreak and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty is stirring heated debate in Taiwan about how to further distance itself from its giant and often threatening neighbor.

At its core is a debate about whether to drop "China" from the island's official name, the Republic of China.

During the virus crisis, the World Health Organization, which considers the island part of China, has listed Taiwan's far lower case number under China's, and China has repeatedly insisted only it has the right to speak for Taiwan on the global stage, including about health issues.