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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

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

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

Maps are a delicate subject for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, islands and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Specific Compliance Issues

Customs authorities explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-dash line, which outlines Beijing's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine dashes which extends numerous nautical miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also omitted the oceanic demarcation between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

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

The Chinese government views self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of force to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as different from the mainland China, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Geopolitical Disputes

Tensions in the South China Sea flare up occasionally - just recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippine government were involved in another confrontation.

Manila accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing claimed the encounter happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "moved perilously near" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also highly vigilant to depictions of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and modified in the Philippine release for depicting a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The statement from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. China produces much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The interception of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses past seizures. Products that fail inspection at the customs are disposed of.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao intercepted a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that contained "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in Hebei province seized two "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, included a "misdrawing" of the the Tibet region's limits.