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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have seized sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its sovereign land.

The maps, officials stated, also "omitted important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing's claims conflict with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "non-compliant" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, customs representatives stated.

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

Specific Compliance Issues

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

The boundary consists of nine lines which stretches numerous nautical miles southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Status

Authorities said the maps incorrectly labeled "the Taiwan region", without detailing what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

China views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of force to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as different from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Geopolitical Tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippine government were involved in another encounter.

Manila accused a Chinese vessel of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing claimed the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship failed to heed continual notices and "came too close to" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for depicting a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were planned for distribution. China provides much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The interception of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by customs officials is relatively common - though the number of the maps intercepted in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the border control are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao intercepted a batch of 143 nautical charts that featured "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, included a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.