Netflix has pulled a Chinese drama series from its Vietnam platform after Hanoi objected to an episode featuring a map with contested territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The 27-episode romance drama Shine on Me includes images of the so-called nine-dash line which Vietnam has condemned as inaccurate and infringing upon national sovereignty.
China uses the line in its maps to demarcate its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam is one of many countries that object to these claims.
Vietnam's culture ministry issued a demand for the series to be removed on 3 January and gave Netflix 24 hours to comply. A BBC check on Tuesday found it could no longer be viewed on Netflix's Vietnam platform.
The disputed map appears several times in episode 25 of Shine On Me, in a scene about China's solar power potential. The show's main characters attend a lecture where a map of China, which shows part of the nine-dash line, is projected on an auditorium screen.
Shine On Me is popular within China and other territories, ranking among Netflix's Top 10 shows in Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam before it was pulled.
Beijing has not officially commented on the ban, although its state-run newspaper Global Times published an article on Tuesday urging Hanoi to separate cultural exchanges from [the] South China Sea issue.
In recent years, China has increasingly asserted its claims of sovereignty over several land parcels and their adjacent waters in the South China Sea, despite complaints from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. Beijing’s actions have sometimes led to heated confrontations with the Philippine navy.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled against Chinese claims in the South China Sea, but Beijing did not recognize the judgment. The dispute between Beijing and Hanoi particularly centers on the Paracel and Spratly island chains, which the nine-dash line loops around on Chinese maps.
Vietnam insists it has governed these islands since the 17th Century and has the historical documents to prove it. This ongoing territorial dispute has significant implications for regional security and international maritime law.
Netflix's removal of Shine On Me follows a series of takedown requests from Vietnam over various shows and films that feature the contentious nine-dash line. Notably, other productions, including artists from Hollywood, have faced similar bans, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding this issue.
