Stringent situation

There are other examples.

A report, issued by State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM) in May, said the number of people engaging in illegal surveying and mapping increased sharply in recent years, from 571 cases in 2006 to 1,058 in 2009.

In China, it is illegal for individuals or organizations without authorization to draw or print new maps.

Most of the perpetrators who got into trouble are from other countries including Japan, the US, England, Germany, South Korea and India. In 2009 alone, at least two of the top 10 cases involved foreigners, the report said.

In the most recent case, a 30-year-old Japanese in Shaanxi Province was accused of conducting illegal surveying and mapping with mapping equipment, a drawing board, and a compass.

At the same time, technology allows anyone to create new maps

"It is not uncommon for some organizations or individuals to collect confidential information through a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) with high accuracy or portable mobile position-fixed terminals," the SBSM said.

"Nowadays, they're good at disguising themselves as government officials, businessmen, scholars, tourists and so on," the report said.

According to the Law on Surveying and Mapping, foreign organizations or individuals that wish to conduct surveying and mapping in China should cooperate with the relevant departments or units in the country to make sure they're not revealing State secrets or endangering State security.