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Chinese customs officers in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

The maps, officials stated, also "omitted important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines 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, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a delicate subject for China and its regional competitors for reefs, islands and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Detailed Violations

Customs authorities said 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 lines which runs a significant distance southeastward from its southern province of Hainan.

The seized maps also failed to indicate the sea border between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Situation

Officials stated the maps incorrectly labeled "the Taiwan region", without specifying what exactly the improper identification was.

The Chinese government views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines were involved in another incident.

Philippine authorities alleged a Chinese vessel of intentionally colliding with and using water cannons at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing said the encounter happened after the vessel from the Philippines ignored repeated warnings and "came too close to" the Chinese ship.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to representations of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippine release for displaying a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The statement from customs authorities did not specify where the intercepted items were intended to be sold. The country produces much of the global merchandise, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The confiscation of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the amount of the maps confiscated in Shandong easily eclipses previous confiscations. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are eliminated.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao seized a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that featured "obvious errors" in the sovereign limits.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "violating cartographic materials" that, among other things, contained a "misdrawing" of the Tibetan border.