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Customs authorities in China in the coastal province of Shandong have intercepted 60,000 maps that "improperly identified" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

The maps, authorities said, also "left out important islands" in the South China Sea, where Beijing's claims conflict with those of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnamese authorities.

The "problematic" maps, c intended for foreign distribution, cannot be sold because they "endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the People's Republic of China, customs representatives stated.

Maps are a contentious issue for Chinese authorities and its regional competitors for reefs, maritime features and outcrops in the South China Sea.

Detailed Violations

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

The line comprises nine dashes which stretches numerous nautical miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan Island.

The seized maps also omitted the oceanic demarcation between China and Japan, customs representatives stated.

Taiwan Status

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

The Chinese government views self-governed Taiwan as its sovereign land and has kept open the possibility of the use of force to take the island. But Taiwanese authorities considers itself distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own governing document and democratically-elected leaders.

Geopolitical Disputes

Tensions 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 incident.

Manila accused a China's maritime craft of intentionally colliding with and firing its water cannon at a official Philippine ship.

But Chinese officials claimed the incident happened after the vessel from the Philippines ignored repeated warnings and "moved perilously near" the Chinese ship.

Previous Similar Cases

The Philippine government and Vietnamese authorities are also especially concerned to depictions of the disputed maritime region in maps.

The Barbie movie from last year was banned in the Vietnamese market and edited in the Philippines for showing a South China Sea map with the nine dash line.

The statement from customs authorities did not say where the confiscated materials were intended to be sold. China produces much of the world's goods, from Christmas lights to office supplies.

The seizure of "non-compliant cartographic materials" by China's border authorities is relatively common - though the amount of the maps seized in the Shandong region easily eclipses past seizures. Products that fail inspection at the border control are eliminated.

In spring, customs officers at an airport in the coastal city confiscated a shipment of 143 marine maps that included "obvious errors" in the territorial boundaries.

In August, border authorities in the northern province confiscated a pair of "non-compliant charts" that, among other things, contained a "improper representation" of the Tibet's boundaries.