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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have seized sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

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

The "non-compliant" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a delicate subject for China and its regional competitors for coral formations, maritime features and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Specific Violations

China Customs stated that the maps also omitted the nine-dash boundary, which defines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The line comprises nine lines which runs a significant distance south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The seized maps also did not mark the sea border between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Situation

Officials stated the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without detailing what exactly the improper identification was.

China considers self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwan views itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Disputes

Tensions in the South China Sea flare up occasionally - just recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippines participated in another encounter.

Manila accused a Chinese vessel of purposefully hitting and firing its water cannon at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials said the incident happened after the Philippine ship ignored repeated warnings and "came too close to" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also especially concerned to representations of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from 2023 was banned in Vietnam and modified in the Philippines for showing a South China Sea map with the controversial demarcation.

The statement from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. The country produces much of the international products, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The confiscation of "problematic maps" by customs officials is relatively common - though the number of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region substantially surpasses previous confiscations. Products that are non-compliant at the customs are destroyed.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao intercepted a batch of one hundred forty-three nautical charts that included "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in the northern province intercepted two "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.