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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have seized 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

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

The "non-compliant" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, authorities said.

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 Compliance Issues

China Customs explained that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash boundary, which defines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine dashes which runs numerous nautical miles southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan Island.

The seized maps also failed to indicate the maritime boundary between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Cross-Strait Status

Authorities said the maps mislabelled "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

The Chinese government considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea periodically escalate - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippine government participated in another confrontation.

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

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the Philippine vessel failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the South China Sea in maps.

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

The declaration from China Customs did not say where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. The country supplies much of the international products, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by customs officials is relatively common - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in Shandong significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are destroyed.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao seized a shipment of 143 nautical charts that contained "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

In late summer, border authorities in the northern province intercepted two "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, included a "incorrect depiction" of the Tibet's boundaries.