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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated 60,000 maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

The maps, authorities said, also "omitted important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "violating" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, officials confirmed.

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

Detailed Violations

China Customs stated that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash boundary, which defines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The demarcation includes nine lines which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The intercepted cartographic items also failed to indicate the sea border between China and Japan, officials confirmed.

Taiwan Situation

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

The Chinese government sees self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities considers itself separate from the mainland China, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Regional Disputes

Conflicts in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines were involved in another encounter.

Philippine authorities alleged a Chinese vessel of intentionally colliding with and using water cannons at a Philippine government vessel.

But Beijing claimed the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines disregarded multiple alerts and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Previous Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in Vietnam and censored in the Philippines for depicting a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from China Customs did not say where the intercepted items were intended to be sold. The country provides much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The confiscation of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the number of the maps intercepted in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the customs are disposed of.

In March, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao seized a shipment of 143 marine maps that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province confiscated two "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "incorrect depiction" of the Tibetan border.