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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 Beijing claims as part of its territory.

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

The "non-compliant" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "threaten national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, officials confirmed.

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Detailed Violations

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

The line comprises nine segments which stretches numerous nautical miles southeastward from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also omitted the oceanic demarcation between mainland China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Situation

Authorities said the maps incorrectly labeled "Taiwan province", without clarifying what exactly the improper identification was.

The Chinese government sees self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan sees itself as separate from the mainland China, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Disputes

Disputes in the disputed maritime region periodically escalate - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippine government were involved in another incident.

Philippine authorities accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and firing its water cannon at a official Philippine ship.

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

Historical Precedents

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

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and modified in the Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The announcement from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were planned for distribution. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The interception of "violating charts" by China's border authorities is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region significantly exceeds past seizures. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the customs are eliminated.

In March, border authorities at an airport in the coastal city intercepted a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that included "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in the northern province intercepted two "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, featured a "misdrawing" of the the Tibet region's limits.