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Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have seized sixty thousand maps that "incorrectly labeled" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as part of its sovereign land.

The maps, authorities said, also "failed to include important islands" in the disputed South China Sea waters, where China's territorial assertions clash with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "problematic" maps, meant for export, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, authorities said.

Cartographic materials are a sensitive topic for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, islands and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Detailed Compliance Issues

Customs authorities explained that the maps also failed to include the nine-segment line, which demarcates Beijing's claim over almost the whole South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which runs a significant distance southeastern direction from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The seized maps also failed to indicate the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

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

The Chinese government considers self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwanese authorities considers itself different from the mainland China, with its own governing document and elected leadership.

Regional Tensions

Conflicts in the disputed maritime region sometimes intensify - most recently over the weekend, when ships from China and the Philippine government were involved in another confrontation.

Philippine authorities accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and firing its water cannon at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Beijing said the confrontation happened after the Philippine ship failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese vessel.

Historical Precedents

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to representations of the South China Sea in cartographic materials.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippine release for showing a South China Sea map with the controversial demarcation.

The statement from customs authorities did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. China provides much of the international products, from Christmas lights to stationery.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by customs officials is not uncommon - though the quantity of the maps confiscated in Shandong significantly exceeds earlier interceptions. Goods that do not meet standards at the customs are destroyed.

In March, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city seized a batch of 143 marine maps that contained "apparent inaccuracies" in the national borders.

In late summer, customs officers in Hebei province confiscated a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, besides other problems, included a "misdrawing" of the Tibet's boundaries.