Barbie movie banned in Vietnam over South China Sea map scene

Margot Robbie-starring Barbie was scheduled to release in Vietnam on July 21st before it was censored. Photo: Han Myung-Gu/Getty

Vietnam has banned an upcoming Barbie movie over a scene showing China's disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The «offensive image» features a U-shaped » nine-dash line» depicted on Chinese maps that illustrate Beijing's disputed claim to vast areas of resource-rich waters, including much of what Hanoi considers its continental shelf.

Vietnam is among the Asian countries that have diplomatic disputes with China over its attempts to control and militarize reefs and islands at the center of strategic global maritime trade routes.

In 2016, the international tribunal in The Hague ruled against Beijing's claims, but there are no clear mechanisms to enforce the arbitration award, and China refuses to recognize it.

Barbie filmed by Warner Bros, starring Margot as Robbie and Ryan Gosling was due to open in Vietnam on July 21 before being shut down by censors, according to state newspaper Tuoi Tre.

“We are not licensing the release of the American film Barbie in Vietnam because it contains an offensive image of a nine-dashed line,” the newspaper said, citing Wee Kien Thanh, head of the Film Department, the government agency responsible. licensing and censorship of foreign films.

Ban

Warner Bros has yet to comment on the ban, which is one of a number of similar moves by the Vietnamese government in recent years.

C 2019 Dreamworks animated film «Disgusting», Sony Uncharted action thriller and Netflix Australian spy drama «Pine Gap» were blocked for the same reason.

The «Nine Dotted Line» is a highly politicized issue in Vietnam.

0407 Nine Dotted Line

In 2018, a group of Chinese tourists wearing T-shirts bearing the controversial map were stopped by Vietnamese police upon arrival. at Cam Ranh Airport in the south of the country and asked to be removed.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is also taking steps to counter China's territorial and political claims in blockbuster films.

Latest Last week, the US Department of Defense said it would no longer help filmmakers who planned or could comply with Chinese government censorship requirements to distribute their films there, Politico reported.

This followed. controversy last year over the release of Top Gun: Maverick, in which the flags of Taiwan and Japan were initially removed from the iconic flight jacket worn by the main character, Captain Pete «Maverick» Mitchell, in an apparent attempt to appease Chinese investor Tencent. .

The decision was later reversed and the flags restored.