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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "failed to include important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The "non-compliant" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "threaten national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, authorities said.

Cartographic materials are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Detailed Compliance Issues

Customs authorities said that the maps also omitted the nine-dash line, which outlines Beijing's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine segments which runs hundreds of miles southeastern direction from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The confiscated materials also failed to indicate the maritime boundary between China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

Authorities said the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without specifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

China views self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - most recently over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippine government figured in another encounter.

Manila claimed a China's maritime craft of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship disregarded multiple alerts and "came too close to" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also highly vigilant to representations of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and edited in the Philippine release for depicting a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from China Customs did not say where the intercepted items were destined for sale. The country provides much of the international products, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The seizure of "violating charts" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the amount of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Goods that do not meet standards at the border control are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in the coastal city intercepted a batch of 143 navigation charts that featured "obvious errors" in the national borders.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province confiscated a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibetan border.