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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 Chinese authorities 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 overlap with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "problematic" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

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

Detailed Violations

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

The demarcation includes nine dashes which extends a significant distance south and east from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The confiscated materials also failed to indicate the oceanic demarcation between China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Status

Officials stated the maps incorrectly labeled "the Taiwan region", without detailing what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities considers itself distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Disputes

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region periodically escalate - just recently over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippines were involved in another confrontation.

Manila claimed a China's maritime craft of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a Philippine government vessel.

But Chinese officials said the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "moved perilously near" the China's maritime craft.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and edited in the Philippines for depicting a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The statement from China Customs did not say where the seized maps were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The confiscation of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Merchandise that do not meet standards at the customs are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao seized a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that contained "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

In late summer, customs officers in the northern province confiscated two "violating cartographic materials" that, among other things, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.