Vietnam has banned the highly-anticipated "Barbie" movie from domestic distribution due to a scene featuring a map that displays China's unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea. The decision made on July 3 underscores the ongoing territorial disputes in the region and the sensitivity surrounding China's expansive claims.
The movie "Barbie," starring popular actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was originally scheduled to premiere in Vietnam on July 21, coinciding with its release in the United States. However, the Vietnamese government, through its Department of Cinema, responsible for licensing and censoring foreign films, refused to grant the necessary distribution license due to the offending image of the "nine-dash line."
The "nine-dash line" is a U-shaped demarcation line used on Chinese maps to assert its territorial claims over vast portions of the South China Sea, including areas that Vietnam considers part of its continental shelf and has awarded oil concessions. China's claims, based on historical assertions, have been met with strong opposition from neighboring countries and have been refuted by an international arbitration ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016. However, China has refused to acknowledge the ruling.
The ban on "Barbie" represents the latest instance of Vietnam taking a stand against the depiction of China's controversial territorial claims. In 2019, the Vietnamese government pulled DreamWorks' animated film "Abominable" for the same reason, and last year it banned Sony's action movie "Uncharted." In 2021, Netflix removed the Australian spy drama "Pine Gap" from its platform in response to Vietnamese objections.
The decision to ban these movies reflects Vietnam's commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and asserting its position in the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Vietnamese officials have accused Chinese vessels of violating their country's sovereignty on numerous occasions, highlighting the tense relations between the two countries.
The production company behind "Barbie," Warner Bros, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the ban in Vietnam. The move is likely to disappoint fans eagerly awaiting the movie's release in the country.
As tensions continue to simmer in the South China Sea, territorial disputes remain a significant point of contention among countries in the region. Vietnam's decision to ban "Barbie" is a clear indication of its stance on China's claims and its commitment to defending its own interests in the disputed waters.
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