The upcoming Barbie movie has been prohibited in Vietnam because of a scene highlighting a map that portrays China’s regional claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam, alongside a few different nations, contests China’s claims to most of the South China Sea. The film, produced by Warner Brothers, stars Margot Robbie and is set to release in cinemas on July 21.
This is not the first time a movie has been banned in Vietnam for featuring the controversial “nine-dash line” map. In 2019, the animated film “Abominable” was pulled for a similar explanation, and in 2022, the activity film “Uncharted” confronted a similar destiny. The Vietnamese government has a censorship authority answerable for permitting and editing Foreign movies.
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The Vietnamese government has pursued the choice to ban the most expected Barbie movie from domestic distribution. The ban comes because of a scene in the film highlighting a map that shows China’s unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea. Vietnam, among different nations, questions China’s claim to almost the whole South China Sea, making the portrayal of the challenged region a delicate issue. This move follows past occurrences where Vietnam prohibited films for including the “nine-dash line,” a portrayal of China’s territorial claims.
The South China Sea is an area of critical geopolitical significance, as it is a significant shipping route and is accepted to have reserves of natural resources. The region is subject to overlapping territorial claims by several countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. China, in particular, has been asserting its territorial claims by constructing military bases on artificial islands and conducting naval patrols in the area.
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Details Related to Barbie Movie banned (For R&D)
- What is the ‘Nine-Dash Line’ ?
- Official Barbie Movie Trailer
- List of movies that were banned for depicting the nine-dash line
- History of Barbie
- All The Barbie Movies
The Controversial Nine-Dash Line
Central to the South China Sea dispute is the “nine-dash line,” an outline line utilized by China on its maps to state its claims over tremendous segments of the region. The line reaches out a long ways past the standard 200-mile exclusive economic zone perceived by the United Nation convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and infringes upon the coastlines of adjoining nations like Vietnam and the Philippines.
In 2016, a global court in The Hague disallowed China’s claims in the South China Sea, invalidating the nine-dash line. However, China has refused to acknowledge the ruling, exacerbating tensions in the region.
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Vietnam has a background marked by prohibiting films that include the nine-dash line because of its territorial implications. The Barbie movie isn’t the first production to face such a ban. In 2019, DreamWorks’ animated film “Abominable” was pulled from Vietnamese films for a similar explanation.
Last year, Sony’s activity film “Uncharted” likewise fell foul of the Vietnamese authorities, resulting in a ban. Indeed, even the Australian Spy Drama “Pine Gap” was eliminated from the Vietnamese market by Netflix following a complaint from authorities.
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