Vietnam has decided to ban the movie Barbie from being distributed domestically, citing a controversial scene that displays a map of the highly disputed South China Sea. According to the Vietnamese news website VnExpress, Vi Kien Thanh, the head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's cinema department, referred to the inclusion of an "illegal image" of China's disputed nine-dash line as the reason for the ban.
The film, which features popular actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was set to be released in Vietnamese cinemas on July 21. However, due to the depiction of the disputed territory, the Vietnamese government has decided to prohibit its distribution within the country. This is not the first time Vietnam has taken such action, as they previously banned the movie Uncharted in 2022 for the same reason.
The South China Sea dispute revolves around the conflicting territorial claims made by various countries. China asserts its control and ownership over more than 80% of the South China Sea, using a 1947 map that displays a series of ambiguous dashes known as the nine-dash line. This line extends down to a point around 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) south of China's Hainan island. On the other hand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan also claim different portions of the same maritime area, leading to ongoing disputes with China regarding the validity of these claims.
The ban on Barbie in Vietnam due to its depiction of the controversial nine-dash line highlights the sensitivity surrounding the South China Sea territorial dispute. It reflects Vietnam's stance on the matter and its opposition to China's territorial claims. This decision adds to the tension among the countries involved and further emphasizes the complex nature of the ongoing conflict in the region.