Barbie Movie Banned In Vietnam

By: Aslihan Y.

“Vietnam has banned…the Barbie film because it includes a map depicting China’s “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea.” Al Jazeera

Image from newsx.com

Vietnam, one of the countries that contest China's claim over the South China Sea, has made its political stance obvious one more time by pursuing a creative way to bring light to the ongoing strife. It is not the first time Vietnam has banned a movie because of the 9 dash-line. Vietnam has also banned the movie Abominable

Vi Kien Thanh, who holds the position of the head of Vietnam's Cinema Department, made a statement to the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre, indicating that the use of a map in certain scenes led to its ban. The ban strictly stems from China’s unilateral claim of the South China Sea territory because “it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line” disregarding Vietnam's claims over the territory.

The territorial disputes over the "9 dash line", also referred to as the "U-shaped line", stem from historical claims inherited by the current Chinese government (CCP). The official map produced in 1947 depicts the boundaries around the Spratly, Paracel, and Pratas Island groups, as well as the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) that extend along the coastlines of neighboring countries, which also includes Vietnam.

In 2009, Beijing presented their map to the UN, which included the U-shaped line, as a means of asserting their territorial claims in the South China Sea. However, it is important to note that this map is not recognized under international law, which is guided by the UNCLOS. Although China cites their historical heritage as the primary basis for their claim to sovereignty over the area, there is still a need for further clarity regarding the exact rights they seek to exercise over the 9-dash line. The question of whether China claims the area inside the 9-dash line or ownership of its resources remains an issue of concern.

Bibliography

Al Jazeera (2023). Vietnam bans Barbie movie over disputed South China Sea map. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/4/vietnam-bans-barbie-movie-over-disputed-south-china-sea-map

Reuters (2023). Vietnam bans Barbie film over disputed map of China’s South China Sea claims. The Guardian. 3 Jul. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/03/vietnam-bans-barbie-film-over-disputed-map-of-chinas-south-china-sea-claims

‌Anon, (2023). Vietnam Puts an End to ‘Barbie’: The Controversy Behind the Ban on Margot Robbie’s Movie. https://www.newsx.com/vietnam-bans-barbie-movie-explained/

Reuters (2019). Abominable: anger grows over controversial map in Chinese children’s film. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/18/abominable-anger-grows-over-controversial-map-in-chinese-childrens-film.

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