Will Barbie’s Map of South China Sea Cause a Diplomatic Incident

The live-action film “Barbie”, which has yet to be released, has been at the center of a controversy on an international level.

The trailer for the movie seems to promote it as a lighthearted comedy aimed at kids and even young people. Reportedly, though, it allegedly shows something that isn’t very child-friendly, drawing the ire of some nations in the Southeast Asia region. “Barbie” is said to include a map depicting the way China would prefer the world see the territories in the South China Sea—that is, as entirely its domain.

The movie is scheduled for release on July 21 and has already been banned in one country and will soon be banned in another.

A blockbuster film featuring Margot Robertbie, Ryan Gosling, and other stars will be released later this month in Vietnam. However, it has been banned because of a map allegedly showing China’s claim over the South China Sea. Many believe that the map includes territory belonging to other countries.

The nine-dashed lines on the map show China’s claim to a large portion of the disputed waters, which are also contested by Vietnam Malaysia Indonesia Brunei Philippines.

The map of the Chinese Communist Party is illegal, according to a tribunal at The Hague. Beijing reacted when the ruling was made.

The Philippines has started the process to ban Barbie in response to the controversy. Francis Tolentino said that the map “denigrated Philippine sovereignty” and asked the country’s Film Board for a ban.

If the nine-dash line is indeed seen in the Barbie movie, the Movie, and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines should ban it. This denigrates Philippine sovereignty.

Mao Ning is a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. She told reporters that:

China has a consistent position in the South China Sea. Vietnam shouldn’t link South China Sea concerns with normal cultural exchange.

Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator, responded to the news about the map pushing China’s worldview with a subtle dig against Waner Brothers. The studio will release Barbie in the near future:

Cruz retweeted American Foreign Policy Council Fellow Michael Sobolik’s attack on Warner Bros.’s film. Sobolik accused Warner Bros. of “bending the knee” in order to make money from the CCP regime, which is committing genocide.

The Senator continued: “I guess Barbie is made in China …”.

The screenplay of “Barbie” was written by Greta Gerwig, an independent filmmaker who is also a friend, and Noah Baumbach. Gerwig’s films include the Oscar-nominated, “Lady Bird,” which tells a story of coming of age, and her version of “Little Women,” which has been updated. ”

The Hollywood Reporter reported Monday that Lewis’ fantasy book Narnia was part of the Narnia Series. The New Yorker also reported that Gerwig had a deal to make two films based on the C.S. Lewis Narnia franchise.

According to various sources, “Barbie” is expected to gross anywhere between 60 to 80 million dollars during its first weekend. This includes North American markets.