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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have seized sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The maps, authorities said, also "failed to include important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions conflict with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government 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, customs representatives stated.

Cartographic materials are a delicate subject for Chinese authorities and its rivals for coral formations, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Specific Compliance Issues

Customs authorities said that the maps also omitted the nine-dash line, which defines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The line comprises nine lines which runs a significant distance southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The seized maps also did not mark the oceanic demarcation between mainland China and Japan, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

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

The Chinese government views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan views itself as different from the mainland China, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Tensions in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines figured in another incident.

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

But Chinese officials stated the encounter happened after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also highly vigilant to portrayals of the South China Sea in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippines for depicting a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were destined for sale. The country produces much of the international products, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the border control are destroyed.

In spring, border authorities at an air transportation hub in the coastal city confiscated a batch of 143 navigation charts that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in the northern province confiscated a pair of "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.