The Barbie Movie Ban in Vietnam

Vietnam and the Barbie Film

• Vietnam banned the Barbie film due to a scene showing a map with a nine-dash line, which is a disputed boundary in the South China Sea.

The Nine-Dash Line

• The nine-dash line is a demarcation line on a map that represents China's claims to a large portion of the South China Sea.
• The line stretches over 1,000 miles from the coast of China to the coast of Malaysia and Brunei, encompassing several islands, reefs, and waters.

Illegality of the Nine-Dash Line Claim

• The nine-dash line claim is considered illegal under international law because it violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled in 2016 that China's claims were not supported by the convention and were therefore invalid.

Territories Encompassed by the Nine-Dash Line

• The nine-dash line claim encompasses several territories, including the Spratly Islands, the Paracel Islands, and the Scarborough Shoal.
• These territories are also claimed by other countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Country Represented by the Nine-Dash Line

• The nine-dash line claim is primarily represented by China, which has been asserting its claims to the territories and waters within the line.