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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have intercepted 60,000 maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "omitted important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing's claims clash with those of its 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, authorities said.

Maps are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its rivals for coral formations, islands and rock formations in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

China Customs stated that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash line, which defines China's territorial assertion over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The demarcation includes nine segments which extends a significant distance southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan Island.

The intercepted cartographic items also failed to indicate the maritime boundary between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Situation

Officials stated the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without specifying what exactly the improper identification was.

The Chinese government considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities sees itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Disputes in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - in recent days over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippine government participated in another encounter.

Philippine authorities accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also especially concerned to representations 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 Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were intended to be sold. The country provides much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is frequently occurring - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that are non-compliant at the border control are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of 143 nautical charts that featured "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in the northern province intercepted two "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, featured a "incorrect depiction" of the Tibetan border.