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

The maps, officials stated, also "omitted important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The "non-compliant" 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, authorities said.

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its rivals for coral formations, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Detailed Violations

Customs authorities stated that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which demarcates Beijing's claim over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine lines which stretches numerous nautical miles southeastern direction from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The confiscated materials also omitted the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Status

Officials stated the maps improperly identified "the Taiwan region", without clarifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan views itself as different from the mainland China, with its own constitution and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Disputes

Conflicts in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when ships from Chinese authorities and the Philippine government figured in another confrontation.

Philippine authorities accused a Chinese vessel of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a Philippine government vessel.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippines and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and edited in the Philippine release for displaying a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The announcement from China Customs did not indicate where the intercepted items were intended to be sold. China provides much of the international products, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by Chinese customs officers is relatively common - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses past seizures. Goods that do not meet standards at the border control are disposed of.

In spring, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of 143 marine maps that featured "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "problematic maps" that, among other things, included a "incorrect depiction" of the the Tibet region's limits.