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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have intercepted 60,000 maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The maps, officials stated, also "failed to include important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "violating" 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 sensitive topic for China and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and rock formations in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Compliance Issues

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

The demarcation includes nine dashes which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also failed to indicate the maritime boundary between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Taiwan Status

Officials stated the maps improperly identified "the Taiwan region", without clarifying what exactly the improper identification was.

The Chinese government considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option of the use of military action to take 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 disputed maritime region periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippines figured in another incident.

Philippine authorities claimed a China's maritime craft of purposefully hitting and firing its water cannon at a official Philippine ship.

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

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from 2023 was prohibited in Vietnam and censored in the Philippines for showing a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The announcement from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. China provides much of the global merchandise, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The interception of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Goods that are non-compliant at the border control are eliminated.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in the coastal city intercepted a batch of 143 navigation charts that featured "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

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