Vietnam bans ‘Barbie’ movie over South China Sea dispute

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Vietnam on Monday banned the movie "Barbie" over a scene showing a map of China's unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea.

The ban was enforced by the National Film Evaluation Council on Monday, state-media Tien Phong reported citing Vi Kien Thanh, director-general of the Vietnam Cinema Department.

China’s claims are based on its so-called “nine-dash line,” which are purple dashes on official Chinese maps that represent Beijing's historical claims to the sea.

According to Vi Kien Thanh, the scene appeared more than once in the Warner Bros’ movie, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty.

Scheduled for a July 21 release, promotional materials for the movie have been removed from Vietnamese movie distributors' websites.

Similar decisions were made in the past, including the removal of scenes in "Uncharted" and "Pine Gap" series. In 2019, "Abominable" faced a fine and was pulled from theaters.

China and several other regional countries make overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea, resulting in conflicting situations.​​​​​​​