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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have confiscated 60,000 maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "left out important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing's claims overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "problematic" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a delicate subject for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for coral formations, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

China Customs explained that the maps also did not contain the nine-dash boundary, which defines China's territorial assertion over almost the whole South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which runs numerous nautical miles southeastern direction from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the sea border between mainland China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Situation

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

The Chinese government sees self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and democratically-elected leaders.

Regional Disputes

Disputes in the South China Sea flare up occasionally - most recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from Chinese authorities and the Philippines were involved in another encounter.

Philippine authorities accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and firing its water cannon at a Philippine government vessel.

But Chinese officials said the incident happened after the Philippine vessel failed to heed continual notices and "moved perilously near" the Chinese vessel.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnam are also especially concerned to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The popular motion picture from last year was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippines for depicting a South China Sea map with the nine-segment boundary.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the intercepted items were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the global merchandise, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by customs officials is not uncommon - though the amount of the maps seized in the Shandong region easily eclipses earlier interceptions. Goods that are non-compliant at the border control are disposed of.

In March, customs officers at an air transportation hub in Qingdao seized a batch of one hundred forty-three nautical charts that contained "obvious errors" in the national borders.

In August, customs officers in the northern province seized two "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibetan border.