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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "left out important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The "problematic" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "threaten national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a sensitive topic for China and its rivals for reefs, islands and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

China Customs said that the maps also failed to include the nine-segment line, which defines China's territorial assertion over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The line comprises nine segments which stretches hundreds of miles southeastern direction from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The seized maps also omitted the maritime boundary between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Status

Authorities said the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the improper identification was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to take the island. But Taiwan views itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Disputes

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - just recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippine government were involved in another encounter.

Philippine authorities accused a Chinese ship of purposefully hitting and using water cannons at a Philippine government vessel.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship disregarded multiple alerts and "came too close to" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Similar Cases

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

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

The announcement from China Customs did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The interception of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the amount of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of 143 nautical charts that featured "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In August, border authorities in the northern province intercepted two "violating cartographic materials" that, among other things, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.