Vietnam state media reported the country’s ban on Warner Bros’ ” Barbie ” movie, attributing it to the inclusion of a map illustrating Beijing’s unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea.
The American live-action movie reportedly features a scene that includes the “nine-dash line,”. It is what which China uses on its maps to assert territorial claims over substantial areas of the South China Sea. However , Vietnam is among the many nations that dispute these claims.
An international tribunal in The Hague took up the territory dispute in 2016 . They subsequently rejected China‘s claims to the majority of the South China Sea. But Beijing did not accept the judgement. The South China Sea is a vital trade route connecting the main arteries of trade in Southeast Asia.
State newspaper Tuổi Trẻ reported that in Vietnam “Barbie” had an original release date set for July 21. It will be coinciding with its American debut. However, due to the ban, movie theaters have removed the film from their upcoming film lists.
The ban was confirmed to the newspaper by Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Vietnam Cinema Department. CNBC was unable to independently verify the report.
Vietnam has previously banned movies, including the 2022 Tom Holland film “Uncharted” and the 2019 DreamWorks movie “Abominable,” for featuring a map displaying the “nine-dash line.” The ban on “Barbie” is not the first of its kind in Vietnam for this particular reason.