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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have seized 60,000 maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its territory.

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

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

Cartographic materials are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, islands and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Compliance Issues

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

The line comprises nine dashes which runs hundreds of miles southeastern direction from its southern province of Hainan.

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

Taiwan Situation

Officials stated the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without clarifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option 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 democratically-elected leaders.

Regional Disputes

Disputes in the South China Sea periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when maritime craft from Chinese authorities and the Philippines participated in another incident.

Philippine authorities accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing claimed the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and edited in the Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from customs authorities did not indicate where the intercepted items were intended to be sold. The country produces much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The confiscation of "problematic maps" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region easily eclipses previous confiscations. Goods that fail inspection at the border control are eliminated.

In March, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city confiscated a batch of 143 marine maps that included "clear mistakes" in the sovereign limits.

In August, border authorities in Hebei province intercepted two "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, contained a "incorrect depiction" of the the Tibet region's limits.