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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its sovereign land.

The maps, authorities said, also "omitted important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions conflict with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "problematic" 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 Chinese authorities and its rivals for coral formations, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Violations

Customs authorities explained that the maps also omitted the nine-dash line, which outlines Beijing's claim over almost the whole South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which runs numerous nautical miles southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The seized maps also did not mark the oceanic demarcation between China and the Japanese archipelago, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

Customs representatives explained the maps mislabelled "the Taiwan region", without specifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

The Chinese government sees self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of force to take the island. But Taiwan considers itself different from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Tensions

Disputes in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippine government participated in another incident.

Manila accused a Chinese ship of purposefully hitting and deploying water jets at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing stated the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship disregarded multiple alerts and "came too close to" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for showing a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the intercepted items were intended to be sold. The country produces much of the international products, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by China's border authorities is frequently occurring - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in Shandong easily eclipses previous confiscations. Goods that do not meet standards at the customs are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that contained "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

In August, customs officers in the northern province confiscated two "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, contained a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.