According to an AFP report on July 4, the Hollywood movie "Barbie" may not hit theaters in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Film Department has removed "Barbie", which was slated for a July 21 release, from the theater screening list. The move is a result of the Vietnamese government's decision to ban the movie due to a scene allegedly reflecting China's unilateral claims regarding territorial rights in the South China Sea.
Bui Kien Thanh, head of the film department, explained, "We made this decision after a review because there's a scene in the movie featuring a map with the 'nine-dash line.' However, details about which scene includes the 'nine-dash line' or whether Chinese capital is involved in the movie have not been disclosed."
The "nine-dash line" is an imaginary boundary of nine dashes drawn in a 'U' shape by China in the South China Sea. China claims approximately 90% of the area within this line as its own territorial waters, causing conflicts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in 2016 that such a claim has no legal basis under international law. However, China has continued to uphold its stance, ignoring this ruling.
Notably, Vietnam has more intense conflicts with China over territories such as the Paracel Islands (known as Xisha in Chinese) and the Spratly Islands (known as Nansha in Chinese), compared to other countries.
Furthermore, Vietnam has a history of banning films that stir controversy related to the government's position or national interests. Movies like 'Uncharted' starring Tom Holland, released in March last year, the 2021 Australian drama 'Pine Gap', and DreamWorks Animation's 'Abominable' in 2019 were also banned for featuring the disputed 'nine-dash line.'
"Barbie" depicts the journey of Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) and her boyfriend Ken (played by Ryan Gosling), as they leave the doll world of 'Barbie Land' and venture into the real world.
