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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have seized sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its sovereign land.

The maps, officials stated, also "omitted important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions overlap with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "problematic" 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, authorities said.

Cartographic materials are a delicate subject for China and its rivals for coral formations, islands and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Specific Violations

China Customs stated that the maps also omitted the nine-dash boundary, which outlines Beijing's claim over almost the whole South China Sea.

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

The confiscated materials also omitted the maritime boundary between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Cross-Strait Status

Officials stated the maps improperly identified "the Taiwan region", without clarifying what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

China sees self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan considers itself distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Disputes

Tensions in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when maritime craft from Chinese authorities and the Philippines were involved in another incident.

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

But Chinese officials claimed the encounter happened after the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Precedents

The Philippines and Vietnamese authorities are also particularly sensitive to representations of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The popular motion picture from last year was prohibited in Vietnam and censored in the Philippines for showing a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The statement from China Customs did not indicate where the confiscated materials were destined for sale. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The interception of "problematic maps" by customs officials is relatively common - though the quantity of the maps confiscated in Shandong easily eclipses past seizures. Goods that are non-compliant at the customs are destroyed.

In spring, border authorities at an air transportation hub in the coastal city confiscated a batch of 143 nautical charts that contained "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in the northern province seized two "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, featured a "improper representation" of the Tibetan border.