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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "omitted important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

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

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for China and its rivals for coral formations, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

China Customs explained that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash line, which demarcates China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine dashes which runs hundreds of miles south and east from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The confiscated materials also omitted the sea border between China and Japan, authorities said.

Taiwan Situation

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

China views self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island. But Taiwan views itself as different from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Disputes

Conflicts in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippines were involved in another confrontation.

Manila claimed a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials said the confrontation happened after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and "came too close to" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in Vietnam and edited in the Philippine release for displaying a South China Sea map with the controversial demarcation.

The announcement from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by customs officials is not uncommon - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the customs are destroyed.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in the coastal city seized a batch of one hundred forty-three nautical charts that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted two "problematic maps" that, among other things, included a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.