Photo: China Customs

Three books containing problematic maps with mistakes such as wrongly labeling the island of Taiwan as a “country” and misdescribing the names and sovereignty of the Diaoyu Dao (Diaoyu Islands) and its affiliated islands were intercepted by the customs staff in East China’s Fujian Province recently, China Customs announced on its official WeChat account on Sunday. 

The customs staff at the Rongcheng customs post office affiliated with Fuzhou Customs District, identified three books with problematic maps during an inspection of inbound mails. 

Other mistakes included misrepresenting the names and sovereignty of China’s Aksai Chin region in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Zangnan (the southern part of China’s Xizang Autonomous Region), as well as omitting the dashed line in the South China Sea, violating the one-China principle and severely undermining national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, China Customs said. 

Maps are the primary representation of a country’s territory and carry significant political, scientific, and legal significance. Printed materials and publications that do not comply with China’s map regulations are prohibited from being carried in and out of the country, China Customs said.

The customs authorities have lawfully confiscated the books and transferred them to relevant departments for further action.

Global Times