Countries should not link the South China Sea issue with normal cultural exchanges: Chinese FM

Relevant country should not link the South China Sea issue with normal cultural exchange, stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday, in response to reporters' inquiries regarding Vietnam's prohibition of commercial screenings of the film Barbie.

China's position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent, Mao said.

Vietnam has reportedly banned the Barbie movie due to the appearance of a world map that allegedly shows a"nine-dash line" in the South China Sea, according to online news site Deadline.

Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the ban was issued by Vietnam's National Film Evaluation Council.

Other films depicting the line have been banned in Vietnam in recent years including DreamWorks Animation's Abominable and Sony's Uncharted. Additionally, Netflix was ordered to remove Australian spy drama Pine Gap from its service in Vietnam in 2021, according to media reports.

The film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was originally set to be released in Vietnam on July 21. 

It remains unclear whether the production company would be able or willing to edit its final cut, and if the Vietnamese government would lift the ban under those conditions.