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

The maps, authorities said, also "failed to include important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities.

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

Cartographic materials are a delicate subject for China and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Detailed Violations

Customs authorities stated that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash line, which defines Beijing's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine segments which runs a significant distance south and east from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The seized maps also failed to indicate the maritime boundary between mainland China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Situation

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

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Tensions

Disputes 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 encounter.

Philippine authorities alleged a China's maritime craft of deliberately ramming and using water cannons at a official Philippine ship.

But Chinese officials said the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship failed to heed continual notices and "came too close to" the Chinese ship.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from last year was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippines for showing a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. China provides much of the international products, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by China's border authorities is relatively common - though the amount of the maps intercepted in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Goods that fail inspection at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of one hundred forty-three nautical charts that included "apparent inaccuracies" in the sovereign limits.

In August, border authorities in the northern province confiscated a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, in addition to other issues, contained a "incorrect depiction" of the Tibetan border.