Chinese customs officials have seized 60,000 maps slated for export, citing incorrect depictions of Taiwan and disputed South China Sea territories, as Beijing intensifies its enforcement of expansive territorial claims amid rising regional tensions.
The maps were confiscated by authorities in Qingdao, a city in eastern China’s Shandong province. Officials stated the maps “harm national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”
Errors included misrepresenting Taiwan, omitting key islands in the South China Sea, and failing to display China’s “nine-dash line,” which asserts its claim over most of the contested waterway. The maps also neglected to show the Diaoyu Islands, known as Senkaku in Japan, and maritime boundaries disputed between China and Japan in the East China Sea.
The seizure follows a recent maritime confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels near Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands on Sunday. Manila accused Chinese ships of intentionally colliding with its government boats.
Beijing, in turn, blamed the Philippines for entering its claimed waters despite repeated warnings and dangerously approaching Chinese vessels. The United States, an ally of the Philippines, condemned China’s actions, which included “colliding and high-pressure water cannons,” affirming its support for Manila against destabilizing acts.
China considers self-governed Taiwan a breakaway province and has significantly increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years. Its “nine-dash line” claim in the South China Sea overlaps with exclusive economic zones of four Southeast Asian nations: Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Chinese law requires any map products intended for publication or display outside mainland China to undergo a detailed review by the Ministry of Natural Resources and receive an inspection number before export. The seized maps reportedly lacked this official endorsement.
This is not the first instance of China taking action against maps that contradict its official stance. In 2019, Qingdao officials destroyed 29,000 export maps that depicted Taiwan as an independent country.