China Confiscates 60,000 Maps for ‘Mislabelling’ Taiwan and Omitting South China Sea Claims
Chinese authorities have seized 60,000 export-bound maps in the eastern province of Shandong, alleging that they contained “errors” such as mislabelling Taiwan and failing to include parts of the South China Sea that Beijing claims as its territory.
According to China’s General Administration of Customs, officers in Qingdao intercepted the “problematic” maps during an inspection. Officials said the maps endangered China’s “national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” because they omitted Beijing’s controversial nine-dash line — a demarcation used to assert control over nearly the entire South China Sea — and excluded several “important islands,” including those disputed with Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
The statement noted that the maps failed to include the Diaoyu Islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands, as well as the maritime boundary separating Chinese and Japanese territories. Authorities also accused the producers of not obtaining the mandatory review numbers from the Ministry of Natural Resources, which must approve all maps before publication or export.
Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan part of its territory and insists that maps label it as a “province of China.” However, Taiwan operates as an independent democracy with its own government and constitution.
The nine-dash line, stretching from China’s southern coast deep into the South China Sea, overlaps with territories claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Although an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China’s claim has no legal basis, Beijing has rejected the verdict.
The latest confiscation comes amid renewed maritime tensions in the region. Over the weekend, Manila accused a Chinese coastguard vessel of ramming and using a water cannon against a Philippine government boat near Thitu Island, part of the contested Spratly Islands. China denied the accusation, claiming the Philippine vessel had “ignored warnings” and “dangerously approached” its coastguard ship.
The United States, a defense ally of the Philippines, condemned the incident, reaffirming its support for Manila and warning that China’s “dangerous actions” threaten regional stability.
While seizures of maps that do not conform to China’s official territorial claims are not unusual, the number confiscated in Shandong is notably high. In previous years, Chinese authorities destroyed thousands of similar maps for depicting Taiwan as an independent country. Officials confirmed that the newly seized batch will also be destroyed following standard customs procedures.
