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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have confiscated sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

The maps, authorities said, also "failed to include important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing's claims conflict with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "violating" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a contentious issue for China and its rivals for reefs, islands and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Specific Compliance Issues

China Customs stated that the maps also omitted the nine-segment line, which demarcates China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The line comprises nine segments which extends a significant distance southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also failed to indicate the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

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

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as different from the mainland China, with its own governing document and elected leadership.

Geopolitical Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - in recent days over the weekend, when ships from Chinese authorities and the Philippine government were involved in another encounter.

Philippine authorities claimed a China's maritime craft of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a Philippine government vessel.

But Beijing said the incident happened after the Philippine vessel disregarded multiple alerts and "dangerously approached" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and modified in the Philippine release for displaying a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

The statement from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were intended to be sold. China supplies much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The confiscation of "violating charts" by China's border authorities is relatively common - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses previous confiscations. Goods that are non-compliant at the border control are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city intercepted a batch of 143 nautical charts that featured "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province confiscated a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, featured a "misdrawing" of the Tibetan border.