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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have seized sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

The maps, authorities said, also "failed to include important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions conflict with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "violating" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, officials confirmed.

Maps are a sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

Customs authorities explained that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash line, which demarcates Beijing's claim over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine segments which extends numerous nautical miles southeastward from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The intercepted cartographic items also omitted the maritime boundary between China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Situation

Officials stated the maps incorrectly labeled "the Taiwan region", without clarifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

The Chinese government views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities sees itself as separate from the mainland China, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Regional Disputes

Tensions in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - in recent days over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines were involved in another incident.

Manila accused a Chinese ship of intentionally colliding with and firing its water cannon at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing said the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to depictions of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The 2023 Barbie film from last year was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippine release for depicting a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The statement from customs authorities did not indicate where the intercepted items were destined for sale. The country provides much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region easily eclipses previous confiscations. Goods that are non-compliant at the border control are destroyed.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that featured "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In late summer, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, included a "incorrect depiction" of the Tibetan border.