Chinese authorities seizes 60,000 maps for 'improperly identifying' Taiwan

Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have seized 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its sovereign land.

The maps, officials stated, also "left out important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "violating" maps, destined for overseas markets, cannot be sold because they "compromise national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China, officials confirmed.

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

Detailed Violations

China Customs said that the maps also failed to include the nine-dash boundary, which outlines Beijing's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

The demarcation includes nine lines which stretches a significant distance south and east from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the sea border between mainland China and Japan, authorities said.

Taiwan Status

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

The Chinese government considers self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities sees itself as different from the mainland China, with its own governing document and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea periodically escalate - in recent days over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippine government figured in another incident.

Manila alleged a Chinese vessel of deliberately ramming and firing its water cannon at a government-owned Philippine craft.

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

Previous Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also especially concerned to depictions of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for showing a maritime chart with the nine dash line.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the seized maps were planned for distribution. The country provides much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "violating charts" by China's border authorities is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region easily eclipses earlier interceptions. Merchandise that are non-compliant at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in the coastal city seized a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that included "clear mistakes" in the national borders.

In late summer, border authorities in Hebei province seized two "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.