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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "left out 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.

Maps are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and rock formations in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

China Customs said that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which defines China's territorial assertion over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The line comprises nine lines which runs numerous nautical miles south and east from its southernmost province of Hainan.

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

Cross-Strait Situation

Authorities said the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without specifying what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

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

Regional Disputes

Disputes in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines figured in another incident.

Manila alleged a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing said the encounter happened after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and "dangerously approached" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the South China Sea in maps.

The Barbie movie from 2023 was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for displaying a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the confiscated materials were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The interception of "violating charts" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps intercepted in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that fail inspection at the customs are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a batch of 143 marine maps that included "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in the northern province intercepted a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, among other things, contained a "misdrawing" of the Tibetan border.