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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "failed to include important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

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

Maps are a delicate subject for China and its regional competitors for coral formations, maritime features and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Specific Compliance Issues

China Customs said that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which defines Beijing's claim over almost the whole South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which runs numerous nautical miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the maritime boundary between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Situation

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

The Chinese government views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has kept open the possibility of the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities sees itself as distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and democratically-elected leaders.

Regional Tensions

Disputes in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines participated in another confrontation.

Philippine authorities alleged a Chinese vessel of intentionally colliding with and deploying water jets at a official Philippine ship.

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "moved perilously near" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippines for depicting a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

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

The interception of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by Chinese customs officers is not uncommon - though the number of the maps confiscated in the Shandong region significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are eliminated.

In March, border authorities at an air transportation hub in Qingdao intercepted a shipment of one hundred forty-three marine maps that contained "clear mistakes" in the sovereign limits.

In late summer, customs officers in Hebei province confiscated two "problematic maps" that, in addition to other issues, featured a "incorrect depiction" of the the Tibet region's limits.