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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have intercepted 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "left out important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, 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 China, authorities said.

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, islands and rock formations in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

China Customs explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-dash boundary, which demarcates Beijing's claim over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

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

The seized maps also did not mark the maritime boundary between mainland China and Japan, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

Officials stated the maps mislabelled "Taiwan province", without specifying what exactly the improper identification was.

China considers self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as distinct from the mainland China, with its own constitution and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Tensions

Tensions in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - in recent days over the weekend, when maritime craft from Chinese authorities and the Philippines participated in another incident.

Manila alleged a China's maritime craft of purposefully hitting and using water cannons at a Philippine government vessel.

But Beijing claimed the encounter happened after the Philippine ship ignored repeated warnings and "dangerously approached" the Chinese ship.

Previous Similar Cases

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

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in Vietnam and censored in the Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were destined for sale. The country provides much of the global merchandise, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The confiscation of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps confiscated in Shandong significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Goods that are non-compliant at the customs are eliminated.

In spring, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city intercepted a batch of 143 navigation charts that featured "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, among other things, featured a "improper representation" of the the Tibet region's limits.