Chinese authorities confiscates sixty thousand maps for 'mislabelling' the island of Taiwan

Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have confiscated sixty thousand maps that "mislabelled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as 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 regional 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, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a delicate subject for China and its rivals for coral formations, islands and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Specific Violations

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

The boundary consists of nine dashes which extends numerous nautical miles southeastern direction from its most southerly province of Hainan.

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

Taiwan Status

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

China views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan sees itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Tensions

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

Manila claimed a China's maritime craft of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a Philippine government vessel.

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines disregarded multiple alerts and "dangerously approached" the China's maritime craft.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The popular motion picture from last year was banned in Vietnam and edited in the Philippine release for showing a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from customs authorities did not specify where the seized maps were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by customs officials is not uncommon - though the quantity of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Products that do not meet standards at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, border authorities at an airport in the coastal city seized a shipment of 143 nautical charts that contained "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In late summer, customs officers in Hebei province confiscated a pair of "violating cartographic materials" that, among other things, contained a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.