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

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

The "violating" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, officials confirmed.

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for China and its regional competitors for reefs, maritime features and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Detailed Compliance Issues

China Customs explained that the maps also failed to include the nine-segment line, which outlines Beijing's claim over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The demarcation includes nine lines which stretches hundreds of miles southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan.

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

Cross-Strait Status

Customs representatives explained the maps mislabelled "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the improper identification was.

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

Geopolitical Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippine government figured in another encounter.

Philippine authorities claimed a Chinese vessel of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials claimed the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also highly vigilant to portrayals of the South China Sea in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and censored in the Philippine release for showing a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The announcement from customs authorities did not indicate where the seized maps were destined for sale. China supplies much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the amount of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Merchandise that fail inspection at the border control are eliminated.

In March, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao intercepted a batch of 143 marine maps that featured "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In late summer, customs officers in Hebei province seized a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, included a "misdrawing" of the the Tibet region's limits.