🔗 Share this article

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

The maps, customs representatives explained, also "omitted important islands" in the South China Sea, where Beijing's claims clash with those of its neighbors, including the Philippine government and Vietnam.

The "violating" maps, destined for overseas markets, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

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

Specific Violations

Customs authorities stated that the maps also did not contain the nine-segment line, which demarcates China's territorial assertion over the vast majority of the South China Sea.

The line comprises nine dashes which stretches hundreds of miles southeastern direction from its southernmost province of Hainan.

The seized maps also did not mark the oceanic demarcation between mainland China and Japan, authorities said.

Cross-Strait Situation

Customs representatives explained the maps incorrectly labeled "Taiwan province", without clarifying what exactly the incorrect labeling was.

China considers self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of military action to take the island. But Taiwan views itself as separate from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Tensions

Conflicts in the South China Sea sometimes intensify - just recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippine government were involved in another confrontation.

Manila accused a Chinese ship of purposefully hitting and deploying water jets at a government-owned Philippine craft.

But Chinese officials claimed the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines failed to heed continual notices and "dangerously approached" the Chinese ship.

Historical Similar Cases

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

The popular motion picture from 2023 was banned in the Vietnamese market and modified in the Philippine release for depicting a maritime chart with the nine-segment boundary.

The declaration from customs authorities did not indicate where the confiscated materials were planned for distribution. The country supplies much of the world's goods, from holiday decorations to stationery.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by Chinese customs officers is frequently occurring - though the number of the maps intercepted in the Shandong region substantially surpasses earlier interceptions. Goods that fail inspection at the customs are eliminated.

In March, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city seized a shipment of 143 navigation charts that featured "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, customs officers in the northern province seized two "violating cartographic materials" that, in addition to other issues, contained a "improper representation" of the the Tibet region's limits.