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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as 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 Vietnam.

The "violating" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "threaten national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, authorities said.

Maps are a contentious issue for China and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

Customs authorities said that the maps also omitted the nine-dash boundary, which outlines China's territorial assertion over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The line comprises nine lines which extends numerous nautical miles southeastern direction from its southern province of Hainan.

The seized maps also omitted the maritime boundary between China and the Japanese archipelago, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Status

Officials stated the maps incorrectly labeled "the Taiwan region", without detailing what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

China views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities views itself as different from the mainland China, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Disputes

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippines participated in another incident.

Philippine authorities claimed a Chinese vessel of purposefully hitting and deploying water jets 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 China's maritime craft.

Previous Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The 2023 Barbie film from 2023 was banned in Vietnam and modified in the Philippine release for displaying a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. The country provides much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The confiscation of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the amount of the maps seized in Shandong easily eclipses past seizures. Goods that fail inspection at the border control are disposed of.

In March, border authorities at an airport in the coastal city seized a shipment of 143 marine maps that featured "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In August, border authorities in the northern province intercepted two "non-compliant charts" that, among other things, included a "improper representation" of the the Tibet region's limits.