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Customs authorities in China in eastern Shandong province have confiscated 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Chinese authorities considers part of its territory.

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

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

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

Specific Violations

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

The line comprises nine dashes which extends numerous nautical miles southeastern direction from its southern province of Hainan Island.

The confiscated materials also omitted the oceanic demarcation between China and the Japanese archipelago, officials confirmed.

Taiwan Situation

Customs representatives explained the maps improperly identified "Taiwan province", without clarifying what exactly the mislabelling was.

The Chinese government views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has not ruled out the use of force to unify with the island. But Taiwan considers itself distinct from the mainland China, with its own governing document and popularly chosen officials.

Geopolitical Tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea periodically escalate - most recently over the weekend, when vessels from Chinese authorities and the Philippines figured in another confrontation.

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

But Chinese officials said the incident happened after the Philippine vessel disregarded multiple alerts and "moved perilously near" the China's maritime craft.

Historical Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnam are also highly vigilant to portrayals of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and censored in the Philippines for showing a maritime chart with the controversial demarcation.

The announcement from China Customs did not specify where the intercepted items were planned for distribution. The country provides much of the global merchandise, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The seizure of "problematic maps" by China's border authorities is not uncommon - though the number of the maps confiscated in Shandong easily eclipses past seizures. Products that do not meet standards at the customs are disposed of.

In spring, customs officers at an air transportation hub in the coastal city intercepted a shipment of one hundred forty-three navigation charts that featured "obvious errors" in the sovereign limits.

In August, customs officers in the northern province confiscated two "problematic maps" that, besides other problems, contained a "misdrawing" of the the Tibet region's limits.