Publishing a map of China that doesn’t entirely reflect the country’s claimed territories may result in criminal prosecution, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
Thirteen municipal-level departments in Beijing, including the city’s cyberspace administration, jointly launched the campaign last week, demanding “examination and rectification” of all “problematic maps” by the end of July. According to an official notice, judicial organs may pursue criminal prosecution if maps are deemed to “endanger national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, or jeopardize national security and interests.”
“Correct” maps must properly depict China’s borders, including the islands of Hainan and Taiwan, the Diaoyu Islands, and the islands within the nine-dash line demarcating China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, among others. Together, the 13 departments are responsible for reviewing maps published in domestic media reports, films, museums, and textbooks.
All maps of China, in China, must be submitted to the relevant authorities for review before publication. Last year, 29 Fortune 500 companies were told to replace maps Beijing considered “problematic,” while the hit television drama “Go Go Squid!” was fined 100,000 yuan ($14,000) for airing an incomplete map of the country. (Image: People Visual)
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