China intercepts 60,000 cartographic materials for 'improperly identifying' the island of Taiwan

Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have confiscated 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing 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 clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "non-compliant" maps, destined for overseas markets, cannot be sold because they "endanger 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 coral formations, maritime features and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Detailed Compliance Issues

Customs authorities said that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash line, which demarcates Beijing's claim over almost the whole South China Sea.

The demarcation includes nine dashes which stretches numerous nautical miles south and east from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also failed to indicate the sea border between China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Situation

Authorities said the maps incorrectly labeled "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the mislabelling was.

The Chinese government sees self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan considers itself distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Disputes

Disputes in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - just recently over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippine government figured in another incident.

Manila claimed a Chinese vessel of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship disregarded multiple alerts and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Previous Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The popular motion picture from 2023 was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for displaying a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from customs authorities did not specify where the intercepted items were destined for sale. The country provides much of the international products, from holiday decorations to office supplies.

The confiscation of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by China's border authorities is frequently occurring - though the amount of the maps confiscated in Shandong easily eclipses earlier interceptions. Merchandise that do not meet standards at the customs are destroyed.

In March, customs officers at an air transportation hub in Qingdao intercepted a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that contained "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province seized a pair of "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.