Vietnam has blocked Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated film “Barbie” from domestic distribution due to a sequence depicting China’s unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea, according to state media on Monday. On Chinese maps, the U-shaped “nine-dash line” is used to illustrate China’s claims over broad sections of the South China Sea, including swaths of what Vietnam deems their continental shelf, where oil concessions have been granted.
“Barbie” is the latest film to be banned in Vietnam for representing China’s contentious nine-dash line, which was rejected by a court in The Hague in an international arbitration judgement in 2016. China refuses to accept the verdict. The Vietnamese government banned DreamWorks’ animated picture “Abominable” in 2019 and Sony’s action feature “Unchartered” last year for the same reason. Netflix also discontinued the Australian spy drama “Pine Gap” in 2021.
According to the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper, “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was originally scheduled to open in Vietnam on July 21, the same date as in the United States.
“We do not grant a license for the American movie ‘Barbie’ to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line,” the paper reported, citing Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, a government body in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films.
Warner Bros. did not reply immediately to a request for comment. Vietnam and China have long had competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which could be rich in energy resources. The Southeast Asian nation has often accused Chinese ships of infringing on its sovereignty.
