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

The maps, officials stated, also "failed to include important islands" in the South China Sea, where Beijing's claims clash with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "problematic" maps, destined for overseas markets, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, customs representatives stated.

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

Detailed Compliance Issues

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

The line comprises nine dashes which runs numerous nautical miles south and east from its southern province of Hainan.

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

Cross-Strait Situation

Officials stated the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the mislabelling was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities sees itself as different from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Tensions

Disputes in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - in recent days over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippines were involved in another confrontation.

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

But Beijing stated the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to portrayals of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and edited in the Philippine release for displaying a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

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

The confiscation of "problematic maps" by customs officials is not uncommon - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region easily eclipses past seizures. Goods that do not meet standards at the customs are destroyed.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in the coastal city intercepted a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that included "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

In late summer, customs officers in the northern province seized two "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.