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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have seized 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its sovereign land.

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

The "problematic" maps, meant for export, 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 China and its regional competitors for reefs, islands and outcrops in the disputed maritime region.

Specific Compliance Issues

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

The line comprises nine dashes which stretches a significant distance southeastward from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also failed to indicate the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Status

Authorities said the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without detailing what exactly the improper identification was.

China considers self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has maintained the option of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as different from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when vessels from China and the Philippines were involved in another confrontation.

Manila alleged a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a official Philippine ship.

But Beijing claimed the encounter happened after the Philippine vessel disregarded multiple alerts and "dangerously approached" the China's maritime craft.

Previous Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The popular motion picture from last year was prohibited in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the controversial demarcation.

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

The interception of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is frequently occurring - though the amount of the maps seized in Shandong significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Goods that fail inspection at the customs are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao confiscated a shipment of 143 marine maps that included "apparent inaccuracies" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in Hebei province intercepted a pair of "violating cartographic materials" that, among other things, included a "misdrawing" of the Tibetan border.