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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

The maps, officials stated, also "failed to include important islands" in the South China Sea, where China's territorial assertions conflict with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "non-compliant" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, officials confirmed.

Cartographic materials are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Specific Compliance Issues

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

The demarcation includes nine dashes which runs a significant distance southeastward from its most southerly province of Hainan.

The confiscated materials also omitted the maritime boundary between mainland China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

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

China views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan considers itself distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Tensions in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when ships from Chinese authorities and the Philippines figured in another encounter.

Philippine authorities claimed a Chinese vessel of purposefully hitting and using water cannons at a government-owned Philippine craft.

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

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to depictions of the South China Sea in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and modified in the Philippines for displaying a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

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

The interception of "violating charts" by Chinese customs officers is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps confiscated in Shandong significantly exceeds previous confiscations. Merchandise that do not meet standards at the customs are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in Qingdao seized a batch of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that contained "clear mistakes" in the territorial boundaries.

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