China is ignoring the increasing outrage over reports that the new and upcoming Barbie film may include a map supporting Beijing's contentious territorial claims.
The Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-starring summer movie is set to debut later this month. However, it has already been banned in Vietnam on concerns that it depicts a map of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, which many people believe infringes on the boundaries of other countries.
China's Response to 'Barbie' Movie Ban in Vietnam
At a news briefing on Tuesday, July 4, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning downplayed Hanoi's fury when questioned about the dispute, according to Fox News.
The official said, "China's position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent." She added that Vietnam should not make the territorial dispute a barrier to otherwise friendly relations between the countries.
China's claim to a large chunk of the contested seas, shown by the nine-dash line on the map, is at odds with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Notably, the Chinese Communist Party's map was declared unconstitutional by an international court in The Hague, Fox News reported. At the time, Beijing dismissed the decision.
The inclusion of the map in Barbie highlights the rising criticism about Hollywood's dependence on China, which has recently competed with the US as the biggest market. Studio heads are accused of turning a blind eye to human rights violations in Beijing in order to increase ticket sales.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has also voiced his displeasure with the current developments involving Barbie and Warner Bros.
Cruz shared a tweet from American Foreign Policy Council member Michael Sobolik, in which Sobolik criticized Warner Bros. for "bend[ing] the knee to the genocidal CCP regime to make a buck."
The senator said, "I guess Barbie is made in China..."
I guess Barbie is made in China…. https://t.co/CDB1IzZcvm
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 3, 2023
The Map Scene Is Also Giving the Philippines Second Thoughts
Legislators in the Philippines have expressed concern about the rumored inclusion of the nine-dash line map, suggesting that the nation may follow suit in banning the movie's distribution.
CNN Philippines quoted Philippines Senator Francis Tolentino as saying, "If the invalidated 9-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie Barbie, then it is incumbent upon the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty."
According to Variety, the MTRBC said on Tuesday, July 4, that it is reviewing the film's classification by posting a statement on its website. However, no clarification was provided.
For the same grounds, the MTRBC prevented the release of Uncharted, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, in the Philippines last year.
The senators reportedly seem open to discussing a solution, such as asking Warner Bros. to cut the offensive sequence. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that the company will comply.
