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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its territory.

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

The "non-compliant" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

Cartographic materials are a delicate subject for China and its regional competitors for coral formations, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

Customs authorities explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-dash line, which outlines China's territorial assertion over almost the whole South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which stretches hundreds of miles southeastward from its southern province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also omitted the oceanic demarcation between mainland China and Japan, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

Officials stated the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without specifying what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

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

Regional Tensions

Disputes in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippines were involved in another encounter.

Philippine authorities alleged a Chinese ship of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a Philippine government vessel.

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and modified in the Philippine release for depicting a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. China produces much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The interception of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by China's border authorities is not uncommon - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Products that are non-compliant at the customs are eliminated.

In spring, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city confiscated a shipment of 143 nautical charts that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

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