(Adnkronos) – Chinese customs authorities have seized over 60,000 maps in the eastern province of Shandong, accused of “incorrectly labeling” the self-governed island of Taiwan and “omitting important islands” in the South China Sea. According to China Customs, the maps – intended for export – “endanger the national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” of the country and therefore cannot be put up for sale.
The maps, considered “problematic,” did not show the so-called nine-dash line, with which Beijing delimits its claim over almost the entire South China Sea, nor did they mark the maritime border between China and Japan. The authorities did not specify what the “error” related to the labeling of “Taiwan Province” consisted of, but reiterated that control over geographical representations is essential to defend national sovereignty. Similar incidents are not uncommon: only in 2024, customs in Qingdao and Hebei had already blocked the export of maps and nautical charts deemed “incorrect” regarding territorial boundaries.
