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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have seized 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its sovereign land.

The maps, officials stated, also "left out important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

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

Maps are a contentious issue for China and its regional competitors for coral formations, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Specific Violations

China Customs explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-dash boundary, which demarcates China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine segments which extends a significant distance southeastern direction from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also failed to indicate the sea border between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Status

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

The Chinese government 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 views itself as separate from the mainland China, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Tensions

Disputes in the South China Sea flare up occasionally - just recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippine government figured in another encounter.

Philippine authorities claimed a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and deploying water jets at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "came too close to" the Chinese ship.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to portrayals of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from 2023 was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for depicting a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the confiscated materials were intended to be sold. The country produces much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that do not meet standards at the customs are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao confiscated a batch of 143 marine maps that included "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in the northern province confiscated two "violating cartographic materials" that, in addition to other issues, included a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.