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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

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

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

Maps are a delicate subject for China and its regional competitors for reefs, maritime features and rock formations in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

Customs authorities explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which defines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine segments which runs a significant distance southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan Island.

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

Cross-Strait Status

Customs representatives explained the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without specifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

The Chinese government views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as separate from the mainland China, with its own constitution and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - most recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from Chinese authorities and the Philippine government participated in another confrontation.

Philippine authorities alleged a Chinese ship of intentionally colliding with and using water cannons at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing said the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines ignored repeated warnings and "came too close to" the China's maritime craft.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippines for depicting a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from customs authorities did not say where the seized maps were intended to be sold. The country produces much of the international products, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The interception of "problematic maps" by customs officials is frequently occurring - though the quantity of the maps seized in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that are non-compliant at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in the coastal city seized a batch of one hundred forty-three marine maps that contained "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in Hebei province intercepted two "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.