China intercepts 60,000 cartographic materials for 'improperly identifying' the island of Taiwan

Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted sixty thousand maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities claims as 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 clash with those of its regional neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

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

Cartographic materials are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its rivals for reefs, maritime features and rock formations in the South China Sea.

Detailed Compliance Issues

China Customs stated that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which outlines Beijing's claim over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The boundary consists of nine dashes which extends a significant distance south and east from its southern province of Hainan.

The intercepted cartographic items also did not mark the maritime boundary between China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Status

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

China views self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has maintained the option of the use of military action to unify with the island. But Taiwan considers itself different from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Regional Disputes

Disputes in the disputed maritime region flare up occasionally - in recent days over the weekend, when maritime craft from China and the Philippine government figured in another confrontation.

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

But Chinese officials claimed the confrontation happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also highly vigilant to depictions of the disputed maritime region in cartographic materials.

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

The declaration from China Customs did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. China produces much of the international products, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The interception of "problematic maps" by China's border authorities is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps confiscated in Shandong substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Products that do not meet standards at the customs are eliminated.

In spring, border authorities at an air transportation hub in the coastal city intercepted a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that included "obvious errors" in the national borders.

In late summer, customs officers in the northern province confiscated a pair of "problematic maps" that, among other things, included a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.