![Vietnam banned the "Barbie" movie — and this map is why](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2023/05/26/9933562c-8ce2-4e3f-917a-888e8a8e2761/thumbnail/1200x630/680e7a7a5d80a9484526cb964f2dd8ff/cnn-l19jb21wb25lbnrzl2ltywdll2luc3rhbmnlcy9szwrllwexnmu1zme2mja5nduxndjhytm1otkxnwewogvkzwzj-l19wywdlcy9oxze2ngixzjzhmzbkngzjyze3zjmymdczoduxnmyxzjrj.jpg?v=532947bbe7449b367b963713a282edbc)
Vietnam banned the "Barbie" movie — and this map is why
CBSN
Donald Rothwell is a professor of international law at Australian National University. We do not grant license for the American movie 'Barbie' to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, and enjoys indisputable sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters as well as the seabed and subsoil thereof (see attached map). The above position is consistently held by the Chinese Government, and is widely known by the international community.
The new "Barbie" film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is set for imminent release. But according to Vietnam's state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper, the film's release has been barred. The head of the Department of Cinema, a government body in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films, said:
![](/newspic/picid-6252001-20250202154629.jpg)
We'll tell you up front: Actor-director Jesse Eisenberg, who says he can appreciate a good Jewish deli, is a different kind of movie star. We joined him last week at the legendary Canter's Deli in Los Angeles, and shared some chocolate babka, with a dill pickle chaser. "This is the real test," Eisenberg said.