The girl group Blackpink's concert scheduled for later this month was suddenly boycotted. The Hollywood movie "Barbie," which was scheduled to be released on the 21st, was unexpectedly banned from theaters - all in Vietnam.
At the center of these events is the "nine dash-line" controversy. Posters for concerts and maps in movies have been showing the nine dash line, which has struck a nerve with the Vietnamese government.
What is the nine dash line and why is the Vietnamese government so sensitive?
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On July 7, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism launched an investigation into a map of the South China Sea that reflects China's territorial claims on the website of iME, the local organizer of Blackpink's tour, according to the BBC and other foreign media. Fans of Blackpink's tour have raised concerns and even called for a boycott of the group's performance after a poster with the "nine-dash line" was released.
The nine-dash line refers to the nine-dash line that China has drawn in the South China Sea, extending from Vietnam to the west, Malaysia to the southwest, and the Philippines to the east. The nine-dash line is sometimes referred to as the "U-shaped line" because it is shaped like the letter U in the English alphabet, and sometimes as the "beef tongue line" because it resembles the tongue of a cow. It's an imaginary line that China has drawn in the shape of a "U," but China claims 90% of it as its territorial waters, which has caused friction with Vietnam, as well as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Southeast Asian countries have criticized Chinese ships for violating their sovereignty in the South China Sea, and in 2016, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled against China in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, a decision that Beijing has not recognized.
Other countries' use of maps of the South China Sea that reflect the disputed line has been a source of irritation for neighboring countries, with Vietnam being the most vocal. "The South China Sea map controversy in Vietnam reignited over Blackpink after the country banned the U.S. Warner Bros. movie "Barbie" for showing scenes that reflect the disputed line," according to Reuters.
The national anthem is a sensitive issue for the government and people in Vietnam, with local bookers even threatening to boycott Blackpink concerts. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told iME: "It's a hot-button issue. It is absolutely unacceptable for Vietnam to use products or publications with the image of a ship to promote itself, even if it is illegal." The Ministry of Culture also vowed to investigate. As the situation escalated, iME responded with an explanation that it would change the image, but it still found itself in an awkward position because it had offended the public.
With the South China Sea issue at the forefront of their minds, some have called for the show to be canceled, but for now, they will continue their world tour with an additional performance of "Bone Pink" at Vietnam's My Dinh National Stadium on the 29th and 30th.
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As mentioned above, the Vietnamese government also banned the Hollywood movie "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie, because it contained scenes that reflected China's unilateral claims in the South China Sea.
In the past, Vietnam has banned movies that have caused controversy regarding government positions or national interests. In October 2019, the government banned the DreamWorks animated film The Incredibles because it featured a scene with the disputed line, and in March last year, it banned Uncharted, starring Tom Holland of Spider-Man fame, because it featured a scene with China's arbitrarily drawn disputed line. Netflix Vietnam also removed the Chinese drama "Flight to you" (向風而行) from its listings, according to local media outlet VN Express. A Netflix spokesperson explained that the company took this action because the show contained scenes that violated current laws.
The Vietnam Film Administration also sent a letter to Netflix and online video service (OTT) platform 'FPT Play' requesting that the drama be banned from airing, citing the appearance of the word 'kudansun' in episode 9.
The censorship of content that features 'Guk-sun' appears to be escalating.
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| ▲일본 감시기가 센카쿠열도(댜오위다도) 해상을 비행하고 있다. AP뉴시스 |
The reason for Vietnam's sensitivity is that China's claim of sovereignty is somewhat unilateral, and is not recognized by the international community. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that there is no legal basis for China's "sovereignty" claim.
While Vietnam and many of its neighbors, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, are pushing back, China's stance remains firm.
It has repeatedly warned these countries not to link territorial issues with cultural exchanges. According to China's state-run Global Times (GT), spokesperson Ma Ning said, "The South China Sea issue should not be linked to normal cultural exchanges. China's position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent."
It's interesting to note that China had previously criticized South Korean idol group BTS over a "disputed territory" map. Chinese social media users pointed out that the Chinese territory of South Tibet was shown as Indian territory on a world map in the earnings report of BTS's management company, Big Hit Entertainment. This was widely reported by Chinese state media.
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