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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted 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 "left out important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing's claims clash with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities.

The "violating" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "threaten national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, authorities said.

Maps are a delicate subject for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, islands and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

Customs authorities explained that the maps also omitted the nine-segment line, which defines Beijing's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine lines which stretches a significant distance southeastern direction from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the sea border between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Situation

Authorities said the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without detailing what exactly the improper identification was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan views itself as distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Tensions

Disputes in the South China Sea flare up occasionally - in recent days over the weekend, when ships from Chinese authorities and the Philippines figured in another incident.

Manila accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Historical Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippine release for showing a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The announcement from China Customs did not say where the seized maps were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The interception of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the amount of the maps seized in the Shandong region significantly exceeds past seizures. Merchandise that fail inspection at the border control are destroyed.

In spring, customs officers at an air transportation hub in Qingdao intercepted a shipment of 143 marine maps that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.