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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have confiscated sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" 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 South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "non-compliant" maps, meant for export, 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 sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its rivals for coral formations, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Detailed Violations

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

The line comprises nine lines which stretches a significant distance south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also did not mark the sea border between China and the Japanese archipelago, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

Customs representatives explained the maps incorrectly labeled "Taiwan province", without specifying what exactly the improper identification was.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan considers itself separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Tensions

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

Manila claimed a Chinese vessel of purposefully hitting and using water cannons at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing claimed the encounter happened after the Philippine ship ignored repeated warnings and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnam are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the South China Sea in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippine release for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from China Customs did not indicate where the seized maps were destined for sale. China provides much of the international products, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The interception of "problematic maps" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao seized a shipment of 143 navigation charts that included "obvious errors" in the national borders.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province intercepted two "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.